


Endless Dawn

by ChildOfSolace, NympheSama



Series: The Endless Twilight Saga [4]
Category: Endless Summer (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Character Swap, Emotional Constipation, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gay Romance, Gay Sex, Gay Twilight, Gay oral sex, Jaylor, M/M, Major Character Undeath, Mpreg, Smut, Taylor being Taylor, Twilight Series Rewrite, Twilight re-envisioned, Twilight re-write in Choices fandom, Vampires, Wolf Pack, gay anal sex, miego, no longer a slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:14:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 124,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22479262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChildOfSolace/pseuds/ChildOfSolace, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NympheSama/pseuds/NympheSama
Summary: A future that was set in stone is suddenly torn apart, when Taylor's world is turned upside down by the unexpected once again.Frantic at the loss of best friend Diego, haunted by the beautiful child in his dreams; Taylor's future with Jake is not as certain as it once was.Will their bonds prove strong enough to conquer outside influences? And when the Volturi once more become interwoven in their fates; will they find strength together to stand united... or will their hopes and dreams crumble to ash?
Relationships: Craig Hsiao/Zahra Namazi, Grace Hall/Aleister Rourke, IRIS/Everett Rourke/Imogen Rourke, Jake McKenzie/Main Character (Endless Summer), Kele/Quinn Kelly, Malatesta/Yvonne (Endless Summer), Michael Harrison/Main Character (High School Story: Original Trilogy), Mike Darwin/Diego Soto, Sean Gayle/Estela Montoya
Series: The Endless Twilight Saga [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1545814
Comments: 85
Kudos: 36





	1. Preparations

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome one, welcome all; here is the first chapter of our final addition to this series!
> 
> I have to just say that this is currently a struggle; amid all my sickness and such, i now jave a chest infection, ear infection - and am fairly sure i will come down with bells palsy again in the next few days.
> 
> I know ChildOfSolace has a lot going on right now too, the business of life and all 
> 
> But that said I really wanted to start getting this out there
> 
> Of course, with the pair of us overwhelmed atm, theres going to have to be a bit of a delay with posting
> 
> So for now, we will be posting once a week; until we are both feeling more up to it again
> 
> Sorry for the long wait you'll have - but its for recovery purposes only
> 
> Thankyou so mich for all your support so far (i'm gonna shut up now) i hope you enjoy this and do PLEASE leave feedback for us ❤
> 
> x Our love to you all x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FEEL THE FEELS  
> but also, srsly; please let us know what you think
> 
> Welcome back to the final part! We thank you for all your support and comments; they've been amazing. We love you. We hope you enjoy this addition to the collection...
> 
> x Our love to you all x

**Book One:**

**Taylor Lee**

_They'd had more than their fair share of near-death experiences; it wasn't something they ever really got used to._

_It seemed oddly inevitable, though, facing death again. Like they really were marked for disaster. They'd escaped time and time again, but it kept coming back for them._

_Still, this time was so different from the others._

_They could run from someone they feared, they could try to fight someone they hated. All their reactions were geared toward those kinds of killers - the monsters, the enemies._

_When they loved the one who was killing them, it left them no options. How could they run, how could they fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If their life was all they had to give their beloved, how could they not give it?_

_If it was someone they truly loved?_

**Preparations**

No one is staring at you, I promised myself. No one is staring at you. No one is staring at you.

But, because I couldn’t lie convincingly even to myself, I had to double check.

As I sat waiting for one of the three traffic lights in town to turn green, I peeked to the right; in her minivan, Mrs. Levy had turned her whole torso in my direction. Her eyes bored into mine, and I flinched back, wondering why she didn’t drop her gaze or look ashamed. It was still considered rude to stare at people, wasn’t it? Didn’t that apply to me anymore?

Then I remembered that these windows were so darkly tinted that she probably had no idea if it was even me in here, let alone that I’d caught her looking. I tried to take some comfort in the fact that she wasn’t really staring at me, just the car. _My_ car.

I sighed.

I glanced to the left and groaned. Two pedestrians were frozen on the sidewalk, missing their chance to cross as they stared. Behind them, Mr. Pierce was gawking through the plate-glass window of his little souvenir shop. At least he didn’t have his nose pressed up against the glass. Yet.

The light turned green and, in my hurry to escape, I stomped on the gas pedal without thinking; the normal way I would have punched it to get my ancient Chevy truck moving.

Engine snarling like a hunting panther, the car jolted forward so fast that my body slammed into the black leather seat and my stomach flattened against my spine.

“ _Aaah_!” I gasped as I fumbled for the brake. Keeping my head, I merely tapped the pedal. The car lurched to an absolute standstill anyway.

I couldn’t bear to look around at the reaction. If there had been any doubt as to who was driving this car before, it was gone now. With the toe of my shoe, I gently nudged the gas pedal down one half millimeter, and the car shot forward again.

I managed to reach my goal, the gas station. If I hadn’t been running on vapors, I wouldn’t have come into town at all. I was going without a lot of things these days, like Pop-Tarts and shoelaces, to avoid spending time in public.

Moving as if I were in a race, I got the hatch open, the cap off, the card scanned; and the nozzle in the tank within seconds. Of course, there was nothing I could do to make the numbers on the gauge pick up the pace. They ticked by sluggishly, almost as if they were doing it just to annoy me.

It wasn’t bright out, a typical drizzly day in Cedar Cove, Washington; but I still felt like a spotlight was trained on me, drawing attention to the delicate ring on my left hand. At times like this, sensing the eyes on my back, it felt as if the ring were pulsing like a neon sign: Look at me, look at me.

It was stupid to be so self-conscious, and I knew that. Besides my dad, my mom and maybe my brother, well… no, maybe not _him_ , did it really matter what people were saying about my engagement? About my new car? About my mysterious acceptance into an Ivy League college? About the shiny black credit card that felt red-hot in my back pocket right now?

I hadn’t been bothered at all about the fact I’d gotten engaged. I was pleased as punch to think I was going to be making the single most eligible bachelor in the world, so far as I was concerned, all mine… but then the staring started. And staring has always made me self conscious; usually because it preludes people laughing at me.

“Yeah, who cares what they think,” I muttered under my breath.

“Um, sir?” a man’s voice called.

I turned, and then wished I hadn’t.

Two men stood beside a fancy SUV with brand-new kayaks tied to the top.

Neither of them was looking at me; they both were staring at the car.

Personally, I didn’t get it. But then, I was just proud I could distinguish between the symbols for Toyota, Ford, and Chevy. This car was glossy black, sleek, and pretty, but it was still just a car to me.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but could you tell me what kind of car you’re driving?” the tall one asked.

“Um, a Mercedes, right?”

“Yes,” the man said politely while his shorter friend rolled his eyes at my answer.

“I know. But I was wondering, is that… are you driving a Mercedes Guardian?”

The man said the name with reverence. I had a feeling this guy would get along well with Jake McKenzie, my… my fiancé. I felt butterflies dance in my stomach just thinking the word. I knew I would be practically delirious when I could use the word ‘husband’. “They aren’t supposed to be available in Europe yet,” the man went on, “let alone here.”

While his eyes traced the contours of my car, it didn’t look much different from any other Mercedes sedan to me, but what did I know? I briefly contemplated my former issues with words like fiancé, wedding, husband, etc.

I just couldn’t put it together in my head.

On the one hand, I had been raised to cringe at the very thought of dressing in white, of aisles and bouquets. My mother had very poignant ideals about marriage and I had grown up letting them rule my life. Until I met Jake. It was kind of amusing to me now, in a way. I felt like someone had cast an archangel as an accountant; I couldn’t visualize Jake in such a commonplace, normal _human_ role.

Like always, as soon as I started thinking about Jake I was caught up in a dizzy spin of fantasies. The stranger had to clear his throat to get my attention; he was still waiting for an answer about the car’s make and model.

“Uh... I don’t know,” I told him honestly.

“Do you mind if I take a picture with it?”

It took me a second to process that. “Really? You want to take a picture with the car?”

“Sure… nobody is going to believe me if I don’t get proof.”

“Um.” I took a deep breath, thinking this guy was probably two planks short of the full decking. “Okay then. Knock yourself out.”

I swiftly put away the nozzle and crept into the front seat to hide while the enthusiast dug a huge professional-looking camera out of his backpack. He and his friend took turns posing by the hood, and then they went to take pictures at the back end.

“I miss my truck,” I whimpered to myself.

Very, very convenient, too convenient, that my truck would wheeze its last wheeze just weeks after Jake and I had agreed to our lopsided compromise; one detail of which was that he be allowed to replace my truck when it passed on.

Jake swore it was only to be expected; my truck had lived a long, full life and then expired of natural causes. According to him. And, of course, I had no way to verify his story or to try to raise my truck from the dead on my own. My favorite mechanic- 

I stopped that thought cold, refusing to let it come to a conclusion. Instead, I listened to the men’s voices outside, muted by the car walls.

“... went at it with a flamethrower in the online video. Didn’t even pucker the paint.”

“Of course not. You could roll a _tank_ over this baby. Not much of a market for one over here. Designed for Middle East diplomats, arms dealers, and drug lords mostly.”

“Think _he’s_ something?” the short one asked in a softer voice. I ducked my head, cheeks flaming.

“Huh,” the tall one said. “Maybe. Can’t imagine what you’d need missile-proof glass and four thousand pounds of body armor for around here. Must be headed somewhere more hazardous.”

Body armor. Four thousand pounds of body armor. And missile-proof glass?

Nice. What had happened to good old-fashioned bulletproof?

Well, at least this made some sense; if you had a twisted sense of humor.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t expected Jake to take advantage of our deal, to weight it on his side so that he could give so much more than he would receive. I’d agreed that he could replace my truck when it needed replacing, not expecting that moment to come quite so soon, of course. When I’d been forced to admit that the truck had become no more than a still-life tribute to classic Chevys on my curb, I knew his idea of a replacement was probably going to embarrass me. Make me the focus of stares and whispers. I’d been right about that part. But even in my darkest imaginings I had not foreseen that he would get me two cars.

The “before” car and the “after” car, he’d explained when I’d inevitably flipped out.

This was just the “before” car. He’d told me it was a loaner and promised that he was returning it after the wedding. It all had made absolutely no sense to me. Until now.

_Ha ha._

Because I was so fragilely human, so accident-prone, so much a victim to my own dangerous bad luck, apparently I needed a tank-resistant car to keep me safe. Hilarious. I was sure he and his brothers had enjoyed the joke quite a bit behind my back.

Or maybe, just maybe, a small voice whispered in my head, it’s not a joke, silly. Maybe he’s really that worried about you. This wouldn’t be the first time he’s gone a little overboard trying to protect you.

I sighed.

I hadn’t seen the “after” car yet. It was hidden under a sheet in the deepest corner of the Darwins’ garage. I knew most people would have peeked by now, but I really didn’t want to know.

Probably no body armor on _that_ car; because I wouldn’t need it after the honeymoon. Virtual indestructibility was just one of the many perks I was looking forward to. The best parts about being a Darwin, or in my case a McKenzie; were not expensive cars and impressive credit cards.

“Hey,” the tall man called, cupping his hands to the glass in an effort to peer in. “We’re done now. Thanks a lot!

“You’re welcome,” I called back, and then tensed as I started the engine and eased the pedal, ever so gently, down...

No matter how many times I drove down the familiar road home, I still couldn’t make the rain-faded flyers fade into the background. Each one of them, stapled to telephone poles and taped to street signs, was like a fresh slap in the face.

A well deserved slap in the face.

My mind was sucked back into the thought I’d interrupted so immediately before. I couldn’t avoid it on this road. Not with pictures of my favorite mechanic flashing past me at regular intervals.

My best friend. Diego Soto. Who was currently still missing, without a trace.

The HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN? posters were not Diego’s father’s idea. It had been _my_ father, Scott, who’d printed up the flyers and spread them all over town. And not just Cedar Cove, but Port Royale and Liao and Tacoma and Aberdeen and every other town in the Olympic Peninsula. He’d made sure that all the police stations in the state of Washington had the same flyer hanging on the wall, too.

His own station had a whole corkboard dedicated to finding Diego. A corkboard that was mostly empty, much to his disappointment and frustration.

My dad was disappointed with more than the lack of response. He was most disappointed with Ricardo, Diego’s father; and Scott’s closest friend.

For Ricardo’s not being more involved with the search for his twenty one year old “runaway.” For Ricardo’s refusing to put up the flyers in Hartfeld, the reservation on the coast that had previously been Diego’s home. For his seeming resigned to Diego’s disappearance, as if there was nothing he could do. For his saying, “Diego’s a grown man. He’ll come home if he wants to.”

And he was frustrated with me, for taking Ricardo’s side.

I wouldn’t put up posters, either. But not for the reasons my father suspected, such as cruelty or blind mindedness… no, we didn’t put them up; because we knew nobody would see the man. We knew this, because Quinn could no longer see him, much to her devastation.

Ricardo and I had done our freaking out in private, in phone calls and whenever he came over the Darwin’s to go over every detail of the day he’d disappeared. He did that regularly.

At first there had been search parties, each of the Darwin’s running in every direction they were able… but to no avail. Wherever Diego had gone, it was beyond our reach. 

I wasn’t sure if Ricardo and I had taken it the hardest; or if Mike had.

The flyers put the usual big, fat lump in my throat, the usual stinging tears in my eyes, and I was glad Jake was out hunting this Saturday. If Jake saw my reaction, it would only make him feel terrible, too. I knew he felt an immeasurable guilt over the fact that he’d been unable to track Diego down.

Of course, there were drawbacks to it being Saturday. As I turned slowly and carefully onto my street, I could see my dad’s police cruiser in the driveway of our home. He’d skipped fishing again today. Still sulking about the wedding.

So I wouldn’t be able to use the phone inside. But I had to call...

I parked on the curb behind the Chevy sculpture of my gorgeous old truck, and my cell phone out of the glove compartment. I dialed, keeping my finger on the “end” button as the phone rang. Just in case.

“Hello?” Miles Nguyen answered, and I sighed in relief. I was way too chicken to speak to his older sister, Michelle. The phrase “bite my head off” was not entirely a figure of speech when it came to Michelle.

“Hey, Miles, it’s Taylor.”

“Oh, hiya, Taylor! How are you?”

Choked up. Desperate for reassurance. “Fine.”

“Calling for an update?”

“You’re psychic.”

“Not hardly. I’m no Quinn; you’re just predictable,” he joked. Among the Taino pack down at Hartfeld, only Tom Sato and Miles Nguyen were comfortable even mentioning the Darwins by name, let alone joking about things like my nearly omniscient sister-in-law-to-be.

I would have called Tom usually, but I knew he had a part time job at a boat shop on Saturday’s.

“I know I am.” I hesitated for a minute. “Is there anything..?”

Miles sighed. “I’m sorry man… We still can’t phase. Sean’s trying to help us get our lives back, regain control quicker.” He said, and I could hear the grimace in his tone.

“Why the hell did he have to decide to do this _now_?” I sighed again, shaking my head at Sean Gayle’s suspiciously oddly timed order that none of the Taino wolves phase anymore. He’d said to them, apparently, that as the great fight was over; they should take the time to rest and recuperate.

I thought it sounded like pig shit. Mike agreed with me. But without proof, well… we weren’t about to break the treaty first.

“I’m sorry, Taylor...”

I swallowed. “S’okay, Miles. I knew before I asked, really. I just can’t help wishing.”

“Yeah. We all feel the same way.”

“Thanks for putting up with me, Miles.” I sighed. “I know the others aren’t happy with me. It can’t be easy lying to them… I appreciate it.”

“They’re not your hugest fans,” he agreed cheerfully. “Kind of lame, I think. You made your choices based on the full intel, it’s not like this is some forced… thing. Think they oughta keep their noses out, to be honest.” He said. “At least they can’t hear my thoughts anymore though, right?” He laughed.

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “How’s Tom doing?”

“He’s even more pissed off about the no phasing thing than you are.” Miles laughed again.

Tom Sato, Diego’s friend from Hartfeld and one of the most understanding of the pack, other than Miles; was understandably chafing at the order not to phase. He knew as much as we did, in that Diego must be a wolf right now; but there was no way to find out where, why or how. Not with Sean’s conveniently timed order to keep the rest of the pack in human form.

Tom was equally suspicious as I was, and he’d tried several times to resist the order and phase anyway; but the resulting injuries had proven to us eventually that this wasn’t something he could dodge around.

None of us liked feeling so helpless, but Tom was taking it especially hard. I half suspected he blamed himself as much as I blamed myself.

“I guess I’ll see you at the… wedding,” I sighed, forcing the word out through my teeth.

“Taylor… you postponed three times.” Miles said gently. “Diego would understand. Me and my mom are really looking forward to it. It was really nice of you to invite us.”

I smiled at the enthusiasm in his voice. But even though having Miles there would be nice; a link, however tenuous, to my missing best man… my eyes still stung and the guilt still festered in my gut. “It wouldn’t be the same without you.” I managed to say, hoping I sounded convincing.

“Tell Jake I said hi, ’kay?”

“Sure thing.”

I shook my head. The friendship that had sprung up between Jake and Miles was something that had boggled the rest of the packs united and individual minds at the time. It was proof, though, that things didn’t have to be the way Sean seemed to dictate. That vampires and werewolves could get along just fine, thank you very much, if they were of a mind to.

Not everybody liked this idea.

“Ah,” Miles said, his voice cracking up an octave. “Er, Michelle’s home.”

“Oh!” I said, clearing my throat quickly. “Bye!”

The phone went dead. I shoved it in my pocket and prepared myself mentally to go inside the house, where Scott would be waiting.

My poor dad had so much to deal with right now. Diego-the-runaway was just one of the straws on his overburdened back. He was almost as worried about me, his well-passed-the-legal-age-of-adult son who was about to become McKenzie, in just a few days’ time.

I walked slowly through the light rain, remembering the night we’d told him…

Everything had seemed so simple at the time.

As the sound of Scott’s cruiser announced his return, the ring suddenly weighed a hundred pounds on my finger. I kept it in Jake’s cool, firm grasp so it remained front and center. That didn’t help my nerves though.

“Quit fidgetin’, Taylor. C’mon… try’n remember ya ain’t confessin’ to a murder here.”

“Easy for _you_ to say.”

I listened to the ominous sound of my father’s boots clomping up the sidewalk.

The key rattled in the already open door. The sound reminded me of that part of the horror movie when the victim realizes they’ve forgotten to lock their deadbolt.

“Calm down, Taylor,” Jake whispered, listening to the acceleration of my heart.

The door slammed against the wall, and I flinched like I’d just been Tasered.

“Hey, Scott,” Jake called, entirely relaxed.

“No!” I protested under my breath.

“What?” Jake whispered back.

“Wait and make sure he isn’t wearing his gun!”

Jake chuckled and ran his free hand through his shaggy, sandy brown hair.

Scott came around the corner, still in his uniform, still _armed_ , much to my horror; and tried not to make a face when he spied us sitting together on the loveseat. Lately, he’d been putting forth a lot of effort to like Jake more. Of course, this revelation was sure to end that effort immediately.

“Hey, kiddos. What’s up?”

“We wanna talk to ya,” Jake said, so serene. “We got some good news.” Scott’s expression went from strained friendliness to black suspicion in a second.

“Good news?” Scott growled, looking straight at me.

“Take a pew, Dad.” I sighed, rolling my eyes. I knew I only had a few more seconds of calm left. Best to enjoy them while I could.

He raised one eyebrow, stared at me for five seconds, then stomped to the recliner and sat down on the very edge, his back ramrod straight.

“Don’t get worked up, Dad, okay?” I said after a moment of loaded silence. “Everything’s okay, nothing’s wrong.”

Jake grimaced, and I knew it was in objection to the word okay. He probably would have used something more like wonderful or perfect or glorious. If I were telling anyone else, I might have too.

“Sure it is, Tay-Bear, sure it is. If everything is so great, then why are you sweating bullets?”

“I’m not sweating,” I lied. I leaned away from his fierce scowl, cringing into Jake, and instinctively wiped the back of my right hand across my forehead to remove the evidence.

“You’re leaving!” Scott exploded. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

Though the question was clearly meant for me, he was glaring at Jake now, and I could have sworn I saw his hand twitch toward the gun.

“No! Of course not!” Not yet, I added mentally. I wanted to elbow Jake in the ribs, but I knew that move would only give me a bruise. 

Scott’s glower lightened a shade. It was usually pretty clear on my face when I was telling the truth, and he believed me now. “Oh. Sorry.”

“Apology accepted.”

There was a long pause. After a moment, I realized everyone was waiting for me to say something. 

“Oh, right… um…” I began, clearing my throat uncertainly. “Well, Dad, I’m very happy and uh, I wanted to…” I trailed off, my face red as I stared at Scott’s darkening expression. I looked up at Jake, panic-stricken. There was no way I was going to get the words out with my dad glowering at me like that.

He smiled at me and then squared his shoulders and turned to my father.

“Scott, I get that I gone ‘bout this all outta order. Traditionally, I should’ve asked ya first.” He began, as I swatted his arm and scowled at him.

“I am not some blushing teenage girl!” I hissed, as he grinned at me; and consequently ignore me.

“But seein’ as Taylor’s already said yeah, an’ I don’t wanna diminish his choice or nothin’, instead of askin’ ya for his hand; I’m askin’ for ya blessin’.” He said, as I scowled down at my lap, my face undoubtedly red and burning. I should have damn well done it myself after all. “We’re gettin’ hitched, Scott. I love him more’n anythin’ in the world, more’n my own life, an’, by some miracle, he loves me an’ all…” he said, looking down at me adoringly for a brief moment and stealing a large chunk of my ire. “Will ya give us ya blessin’?”

He sounded so sure, so calm. For just an instant, listening to the absolute confidence in his voice, I experienced a rare moment of insight. I could see, fleetingly, the way the world looked to him. For the length of one heartbeat, this news made perfect sense.

And then I caught sight of the expression on Scott’s face, his eyes now locked on the ring.

I held my breath while his skin changed colors; fair to red, red to purple, purple to blue and finally from blue to white. I started to get up, I’m not sure what I planned to do; maybe use the Heimlich maneuver to make sure he wasn’t choking, but Jake squeezed my hand and murmured “Give him a sec,” so low that only I could hear.

The silence was much longer this time. Then, gradually, shade by shade, Scott’s color returned to normal. His lips pursed, and his eyebrows furrowed; I recognized his “deep in thought” expression. He studied the two of us for a long moment, and I felt Jake relax at my side.

“Guess I’m not that surprised,” Scott grumbled. “Knew I’d have to deal with something like this soon enough.”

I exhaled.

“You sure about this?” Scott demanded, glaring at me.

“I am one hundred, million, kazillion percent sure about Jake,” I told him without missing a beat.

“That ain’t a real percentage, Boy Scout…” Jake muttered, low enough that only I would hear, rolling his eyes.

“Getting married, though? What’s the rush?” He eyed me suspiciously again.

The rush was due to the fact that I was getting closer to twenty two every stinking day, and further from the person I was when Jake and I met, while Jake stayed frozen in all his twenty six year old perfection, as he had for over ninety years. Not that this fact necessitated marriage in my book, but the wedding was a nice addition to the deal Jake and I had made to finally get to this point; the brink of my transformation from mortal to immortal.

These weren’t things I could explain to Scott.

“We’re goin’ to Dartmouth together in the fall, Scott,” Jake reminded him. “I wanna do that the right way. ‘S how I’s raised.” He shrugged.

He wasn’t exaggerating; they’d been big on old-fashioned morals during World War I… for heterosexuals. Scott’s mouth twisted to the side. Looking for an angle to argue from. But what could he say?

I’d prefer you live in sin first? He was a dad; his hands were tied.

“Knew this was coming,” he muttered to himself, frowning. Then, suddenly, his face went perfectly smooth and blank.

“Dad?” I asked anxiously. I glanced at Jake, but I couldn’t read his face, either, as he watched Scott.

“Ha!” Scott exploded. I jumped in my seat. “Ha, ha, ha!”

I stared incredulously as Scott doubled over in laughter; his whole body shook with it. I looked at Jake for a translation, but Jake had his lips pressed tightly together, like he was trying to hold back laughter himself.

“Okay, fine,” Scott choked out. “Get married.” Another roll of laughter shook through him. “But...”

“But what?” I demanded.

“But you have to tell your mom! I’m not saying one word to Julia! That’s _all_ yours!” He busted into loud guffaws.

I paused with my hand on the doorknob, smiling. Sure, at the time, Scott’s words had terrified me. The ultimate doom: telling Julia. Early marriage was higher up on her blacklist than boiling live puppies. Who could have foreseen her response? Not me. Certainly not Scott. Maybe Quinn, but I hadn’t thought to ask her.

I’d phoned her right then; striking while the iron was hot. A tiny part of me tried to deny it, but I knew it was as much because he pissed me off as anything else.

“Well, Taylor,” Julia had said after I’d choked and stuttered out the words which I’d been sure were going to start my own fiery blaze of doom: Mom, I’m marrying Jake. “I’m a little miffed that you waited so long to tell me. Plane tickets only get more expensive. Oooh,” she’d fretted. “Do you think Jim’s cast will be off by then? It will spoil the pictures if he’s not in a tux—”

“Back up a second, Mom.” I’d gasped. “What do you mean, waited so long? I just got engaged... you know, today.”

“Today? Really? That is a surprise. I assumed...”

“What did you assume? _When_ did you assume?” I demanded, knocked for six by her calm reaction.

“Well, when you came to visit me, it looked like things were pretty much sewn up, if you know what I mean. You’re not very hard to read, sweetie. But I didn’t say anything because I knew it wouldn’t do any good. You’re exactly like Scott.” She’d sighed, resigned. “Once you make up your mind, there is no reasoning with you. Of course, exactly like Scott, you stick by your decisions, too.”

And then she’d said the last thing that I’d ever expected to hear from my mother.

“You’re not making my mistakes, Taylor. You sound like you’re scared silly, and I’m guessing it’s because you’re afraid of me.” She’d giggled. “Of what I’m going to think. And I know I’ve said a lot of things about marriage and stupidity; and I’m not taking them back, but you need to realize that those things specifically applied to _me_. You’re a completely different person than I am, just like your brother is completely different to you; even though you’re twins. Everyone makes their own kinds of mistakes, and I’m sure you’ll have your share of regrets in life. But commitment was never your problem, sweetie. You have a better chance of making this work than most forty-year-olds I know.” Julia had laughed again.

“My little middle-aged baby boy. Luckily, you seem to have found another old soul.”

“You’re not… mad? You don’t think I’m making a humongous mistake?”

“Well, sure, I wish you’d wait a few more years. I mean, do I look old enough to be a mother-in-law to you? Don’t answer that. But this isn’t about me. This is about you. Are _you_ happy?”

“I don’t know. I think I’m having an out-of-body experience right now.” I admitted, frowning uneasily

Julia had chuckled. “Does he make you happy, Taylor?”

“Yes, but—”

“Are you ever going to want anyone else?”

“No, but—”

“But what?”

“But aren’t you going to say that I sound exactly like every other infatuated young romantic since the dawn of time?”

“You’ve never been young or romantic, sweetie. You know what’s best for you.”

For the last few weeks, Julia had unexpectedly immersed herself in wedding plans. She’d spent hours every day on the phone with Jake’s cousin, Grace; no worries about the in-laws getting along. Julia adored Grace, but then, I doubted anyone could help responding that way to my lovable almost-something-inlaw.

It let me right off the hook. Jake’s family and my family were taking care of the nuptials together without my having to do or know or think too hard about any of it.

Scott was furious, of course, but the sweet part was that he wasn’t furious at me. Julia was the traitor. He’d counted on her to play the heavy. What could he do now, when his ultimate threat; telling Mom, had turned out to be utterly empty? He had nothing, and he knew it. So he moped around the house, muttering things about not being able to trust anyone in this world...

And then of course… the unthinkable had happened. 

We’d gone back to Jake’s, under the guise of telling his family. We’d walked in on Mike waiting smugly by the stairs, and Jake had immediately grimaced. “Aw, hell, I don’t wanna see _that-”_ he’d complained.

“See what?” I asked, glancing between them curiously. Mike’s smug grin was answer enough, especially when he looked away to avoid answering me. “No! First Jordan and now Diego beats me? Urgh!” I growled, shoving Jake’s arm and gesturing toward Mike in frustration. “See? He’s not all weirdly moral and he has like, three hundred more years on you!” I'd pouted.

Jake had grimaced and Craig had laughed, finding the entire thing hilarious. "Aw, brah; you should've been here-" he started to tell Jake.

"Feels like I was." He grumbled beside me, still grimacing at whatever thoughts Mike had lingering in his head.

"They were arguing, chyeah? And then the little guy just… he totally outmaneuvered Mike…" he snorted childishly, as Mike rolled his eyes.

"Eh, can't say I'm annoyed by that." He said, shrugging nonchalantly. "My dick ain't felt so damn warm in-"

"Hey!" I protested, jabbing Mike in the chest as we passed. "Don't go tattling or I'll tell Diego you just said that!" I snarked.

I was beyond miffed that Diego had gotten from Mike what I'd tried to tempt out of Jake, but; after a short time watching Mike and Jake arm wrestle and play fight, I'd found myself happy for my friend. He'd found himself a future, not been forced into one. And I wasn't about to be bitter over that.

"So, when's Diego getting back, anyway?" I called to Quinn, grimacing at the sight of all the paperwork she had laid out before her. I wasn't allowed to help, as my writing was so awful. I felt bad that I was so pleased about that.

"Should be fairly soon," she called distractedly. "He's just leaving his fathers now. They're on good terms, and he's promised to attend the wedding… and, to come meet his 'other half'." She added, flashing a brief grin at Mike.

Mike consequently lost concentration, smirking smugly as Jake dove forward and knocked his feet out from under him. I laughed as I watched them wrestle, we all did… until Quinn gasped.

I turned, but Jake was faster, already beside her. "What is it?" I asked, nervous as I imagined all the worst possible scenarios she might foresee. Rain during the ceremony, death by Volturi before the wedding day; Jake being shot by Scott for daring to steal me away… admittedly it wouldn't hurt him, but it would certainly make the wedding more awkward.

“Diego…” she mumbled, blinking as her empty eyes scanned across the room frantically. 

Mike was suddenly at Jake’s shoulder, held back only by his friends firm hand as he stared at Quinn intently. “What ‘bout him?” He demanded, as I rose and jogged over to them, worrying my lip as my heart began to thud against my chest. “What happened?”

Jake swallowed heavily, straightening as he turned towards Mike slowly. “Mike-”

“What the hell’s goin’ on, Grandpa?” Mike demanded, his eyes hard for the first time since I’d met him. “Where _is_ he?”

Quinn blinked dazedly, gasping as Kele appeared at her side. “... he’s gone.” She said, her voice shaky as he gripped Kele’s hand and looked up at me, my heart sinking into my stomach. “His… his future just disappeared.”

Mike had stood still for all of a heartbeat, staring at Jake in disbelief, before he’d disappeared; the front door half hanging off its hinges from his haste. 

“Jake, stop him!” I yelled, trying to ignore my hearts frantic clattering. Jake turned to me, torn for what to do. “Don’t worry about me, stop him before he gets to Hartfeld!” I screamed, shoving at him blindly as tears blurred my vision. He disappeared in the next heartbeat, with Craig following close behind.

“Diego’s not picking up.” Zahra called from the bar, her voice uncharacteristically worried.

“What… what can I do to help?” Jesse asked, glancing around uncertainly. He was the newest addition to the Darwin family, and he tended to avoid being around me if he could; given he’d been created for the purpose of destroying me. When I couldn’t answer him, he turned to Zahra.

“Come with me, dork… we need to get Mike back here, before the idiot does something really dumb.” She said, before the two of them blurred out the front door.

I grabbed my own phone and dialed before I could even see the numbers. “Ricardo?” I gasped, my urgent tone barely registering. “Is Diego still with you?”

“No, he left about a half hour ago… Taylor, what’s going on?” He asked, as I shook my head and ran my hand through my too long hair. 

“I… we don’t know. Quinn, she can’t see him-” I babbled, hysteria crippling me as I shook my head in denial. “She saw you talking… and then, just now-”

“He… said he wasn’t phasing anymore.” Ricardo’s voice was worried, and I could vaguely make out the sound of his wheels moving in the background. “He said he was happy-”

“He was… I don’t understand.” I choked, shaking my head as I sniffed and choked back my fears. “I… I’m gonna call Tom, maybe he can-”

“Alright, I’ll get onto Miles Nguyen. I know he’s fond of Diego.” Ricardo said, as intent on his course as I was.

I had no idea if he was still talking when I hung up, my fingers mashing my buttons blindly. “C’mon… _c’mon, you stupid piece of-_ ”

Calm washed over me abruptly, and I sighed as my hysteria was taken away from me, leaving me with only my intent focus to find my missing best friend. “Thanks, Kele…” I mumbled, glancing at him briefly as he nodded, though his worried eyes were on Quinn as she stared blindly into the future, searching for Diego.

My fingers didn’t fumble this time, as I dialed Tom’s number, glancing at the time on the screen before holding it to my ear.

“Taylor, hey man-” 

“Tom, Diego just disappeared… can you see if you can hear him?” I pleaded before he could finish greeting me.

“Whoa, whoa; slow down…” Tom said, his tone concerned as I whined with impatience. “What about Diego?”

“He was at Ricardo’s, but then… his future disappeared. He must have phased into a wolf, but we don’t know why.” I explained rapidly, tugging on my hair sharply. “Please, can you phase and see if you can-”

“I’m sorry, Taylor… I can’t.” Tom said, interrupting my query. “I can’t phase right now… what do you mean disappeared? Are you sure he isn’t just-”

“Tom, Diego chose a life; he chose not to be a wolf anymore. He’d stopped, he was happy…” I said, shaking my head. “What the hell do you mean you _can’t_ phase? Why the hell-”

“Sean gave the whole pack an order, right after I went home…” Tom explained. “None of us are to phase for the foreseeable future. Because of the fight; he said it was too close, and we should take this chance, while there’s no threat, to try and reclaim our lives.”

“What?” I shook my head. “That doesn’t make any sense… just yesterday he said Diego and I were hereby outcast from your lands and enemies of the pack. Surely that would mean he’d want you all to be on guard?”

“He what?” Tom snarled. “He can’t do that… Diego is a brother, no matter what he chooses.” He said, hesitating a moment before heaving a deep breath. “Alright, I’m gonna phase and see if I can find out what’s going on. Hold on…” he said, disappearing from the line as I began to worry my thumbnail between my teeth.

The line was silent for a brief pause, before I heard Tom begin screaming. “Tom!” I gasped, pressing the phone harder to my ear, as if that might help me understand what was happening. “Tom? _Tom!”_

“T-Taylor…” he gasped a moment later, clearly pained and struggling to hide that fact. “I-I can’t…” he choked, his voice heavy with guilt.

I nodded, swallowing thickly. “Then just… meet me at the border.” I said, drawing a deep breath as I fished out my truck keys. “I’m coming down.” I said, ending the call before he could argue.

“Taylor, Jake’s never going to let you go to Hartfeld… not with Sean’s threat hanging over you.” Grace said, walking in with Aleister and setting a hand on my arm. 

“Jake isn’t here.” I said, glancing at her. “How do you know-”

“We passed them on the way back from hunting.” Aleister explained, exchanging a glance with Grace. “They were… trying to restrain Michael.”

I nodded, Kele’s calming influence helping me to think clearly. “I’m going.” I said firmly, looking between them with a challenge in my tone. “You can come with me, as far as the border. Grace can shout at Sean if she sees him there. Tom will protect me after that.”

Grace and Aleister exchanged another glance. “Jake’s really not going to like this…” Grace sighed.

“Jake can deal with it.” I said, striding for the door. “For now, the only priority is finding Diego.”

Except, we hadn’t.

No trace of him was anywhere to be found, no trail for Tom to follow with his keen nose; no sign that Diego had ever even been to Hartfeld at all. We couldn’t find his car, the bag he’d packed, not even his clothes.

I wasn’t the only one who thought foul play was involved, but, we had no way to prove anything… and no way to find Diego.

I sighed and tried to trample down my heartache as I always did, burying it under yet another false smile as I turned the door handle.

“Dad?” I called as I pushed open the front door. “I’m home.”

“Hold on, Tay-Bear, stay right there.”

“Huh?” I asked, pausing automatically. “Okaaay… why do I suddenly feel afraid?”

“Gimme a second. Ouch, you got me, Quinn.”

Quinn?

“Sorry, Scott,” Quinn’s trilling voice responded. “How’s that?”

“I’m bleeding on it.”

“You’re fine. Didn’t break the skin; trust me.”

“What the hell is going on?” I demanded, hesitating in the doorway.

“Thirty seconds, please, Taylor,” Quinn told me. “Your patience will be rewarded.”

“Humph,” Scott added.

I tapped my foot, counting each beat. Before I got to thirty, Quinn said, “Okay, Taylor, come in!”

Moving with caution, I rounded the little corner into the living room.

“Oh,” I huffed. “Aw. Dad. Don’t you look—”

“Dumb?” Scott interrupted.

“I was thinking more like... debonair.”

Scott blushed. Quinn took his elbow and tugged him around into a slow spin to showcase the pale gray tux.

“Now cut that out, Quinn. I look like an idiot.”

“No one dressed by me _ever_ looks like an idiot.” Quinn sniffed. “Ask your son.”

“She’s right, Dad. You look fabulous! What’s the occasion?”

Quinn rolled her eyes. “It’s the final check on the fit. For _both_ of you.”

I peeled my gaze off the unusually elegant Scott for the first time and saw the dreaded white garment bag laid carefully across the sofa.

“ _Aaah_.”

“Go to your happy place, Taylor. It won’t take long.”

I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes. Keeping them shut, I stumbled my way up the stairs to my room. I stripped down to my underwear and held my arms straight out.

“You’d think I was shoving bamboo splinters under your nails,” Quinn giggled to herself as she followed me in.

“I don’t want to spoil the surprise!”

“That’s supposed to apply to Jake, not _you_!”

I paid no attention to her. I was in my happy place.

In my happy place, the wedding was already over.

We were alone, just Jake and me. 

The setting was fuzzy and constantly in flux; it morphed from misty forest to cloud-covered city to arctic night, because Jake was being an ass and keeping the location of our honeymoon a secret to surprise me. 

But I wasn’t especially concerned about the _where_ part.

Jake and I were together, and I’d fulfilled my side of our compromise perfectly. I’d married him. That was the big one out of the way. But I’d also accepted all his other outrageous ‘suggestions’ and was registered, however futilely, to attend Dartmouth College in the fall. 

Now it was his turn.

Before he turned me into a vampire; _his_ big compromise, he had one other stipulation to make good on.

Jake had an obsessive sort of concern over the human things that I would be giving up, the experiences he didn’t want me to miss. Most of them, like the end of year dance, for example, seemed silly to me. There was only _one_ human experience I worried about missing. 

Of course it _would_ be the one he wished I would forget completely.

Here was the thing, though. I knew a little about what I was going to be like when I wasn’t human anymore. I’d seen newborn vampires firsthand, and I’d heard all my family-to-be’s stories about those wild early days. For several years, my biggest personality trait was going to be _thirsty_. It would take some time before I could be me again. And even when I was in control of myself, I would never feel exactly the way I felt now.

Human… and passionately in love.

I wanted the complete experience before I traded in my warm, breakable, testosterone riddled body for something beautiful, strong… and unknown. I wanted a _real_ honeymoon with Jake. And, despite the danger he feared this would put me in, he’d agreed to try.

I was only vaguely aware of Quinn and the slip and slide of light fabric over my skin. I didn’t care, for the moment, that the whole town was talking about me. I didn’t think about the spectacle I would be the star of soon. I didn’t worry about tripping on the aisle, or giggling at the wrong moment or or the staring audience or even... the empty seat where my best friend _should_ be.

I was with Jake in my happy place.


	2. Uncertainty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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**Uncertainty**

“I miss you already.”

“I ain't _gotta_ leave. I can stay...”

“Mmm.”

It was quiet for a long moment, just the thud of my heart hammering, the broken rhythm of our ragged breathing, and the whisper of our lips moving in synchronisation.

Sometimes it was so easy to forget that I was kissing a vampire. Not because he seemed ordinary or human; I could never for a second forget that I was holding someone more angel than man in my arms, but because he made it seem like nothing at all to have his lips against my lips, my face, my throat. He claimed he was long past the temptation my blood used to be for him, that the idea of losing me had cured him of any desire for it. But I knew the smell of my blood still caused him pain; still burned his throat like he was inhaling flames.

I opened my eyes and found his open, too, staring at my face. It made no sense when he looked at me that way. Like I was the prize rather than the outrageously lucky winner.

Our gazes locked for a moment; his cerulean eyes were so clear that I imagined I could see all the way into his soul. It seemed silly that this fact; the existence of his soul, had ever been in question, even if he was a vampire. He had the most beautiful soul, more beautiful than his brilliant mind or his incomparable face or his glorious body.

He looked back at me as if he could see my soul, too, and as if he liked what he saw.

He couldn’t see into my mind, though, the way he saw into everyone else’s. Who knew why, some strange glitch in my brain that made it immune to all the extraordinary and frightening things some immortals could do. 

I felt it was highly unfair that only my mind was immune; my body was still very much subject to vampires with abilities that worked in ways other than Jake’s.

But I was still seriously grateful to whatever malfunction it was that kept my thoughts a secret. It was just too embarrassing to consider the alternative.

I pulled his face to mine again.

“Definitely stayin',” he murmured a moment later.

“No, no. It’s your bachelor party. You have to go.”

I said the words, but the fingers of my right hand locked into his shaggy hair, my left pressed tighter against the small of his back. His cool hands stroked my face.

“Bachelor parties're designed for folk who're sad to see the passin' of their single days. I ain't never been more eager to have mine behind me. So, there really ain't no point.”

“True.” I breathed against the winter-cold skin of his throat.

I sighed as I kissed his skin, my own heating at the thought of how it might feel when I finally got to feel him completely bare against my own. Everywhere.

But as it always did now, this thought made me think of someone else who'd recently managed to give their virginity to a vampire. My kiss paused. 

Jake noticed.

"Taylor?" He murmured gently, his fingers grazing my jaw. “Ya doin’ it ‘gain.”

“Hmm?” I hummed, blinking as he pulled back to gaze at me knowingly. “Oh… sorry.” I mumbled, sighing again as I rolled onto my back and ran my hand through my stupid, too long hair. Why Jake wouldn’t let me cut it I didn’t know, but it was really starting to bother me. Among other things. “I just… Jake, do you think maybe we should-”

“Taylor, we set it back three times already.” Jake scolded softly. “Wherever he is… he don’t wanna be found. An’ I don’t think he’d want ya to keep stallin’ for him.” He said.

“I suppose not.” I sighed, staring at the ceiling distractedly. “I still don’t think it was his choice… Ricardo said—”

“Aw, c’mon, Taylor… not with the theories ‘gain.” Jake groaned. “I ain’t exactly Gayle’s biggest fanboy, but ya can’t keep accusin’ him of, what? _Wolfnappin’_ him?”

I scowled. _“Mike_ believes us.” I snarked, though I immediately regretted my words when his face fell. “... I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair.”

“Naw, ya right… he does.” Jake sighed. “But, an even bigger part thinks he just regretted it too much.” He said quietly, throwing me a withering look when I frowned at him in confusion.

“Oh!” I shook my head vehemently. “I talked with Diego before hand. There is _nothing_ about them being together that he would have regretted… I’m telling you, Jake, something happened to _make_ him go away. And the wolves mysteriously not being allowed to phase… well, I’m not the only one thinking of their old stories right now.”

“Whaddaya mean?” Jake asked, reluctantly curious. 

“They had a story, about how a bad guy killed a king and then pretended to be him; by trapping him in the spirit world. The king guided his spirit into a wolf, and then persuaded someone to try and visit him in the spirit world; it’s their first legend of being wolves, basically.”

“That the guy with the three wives?” Jake asked, frowning thoughtfully.

“Yep, that’s him.” I agreed, sighing as I rest my cheek on his shoulder. “I know Ricardo, Tom and Miles all see the similarities… we just can’t get Sean to confess.” I grumbled.

“Guess I could try eavesdroppin’...” Jake mused, frowning at the ceiling. “I ain’t ever gonna get close enough unless I cross the line though; an’ that means an open invite to startin’ a war I don’t really wanna have to start.”

“Won’t be much of a war, without any wolves phasing.” I pointed out.

“Hmm…” Jake mused, staring at the ceiling a moment longer. He turned abruptly, smiling at me deviously as he curled his arm around me. “I’ll see ‘bout lookin’ into it for ya.” He said.

“Oh, for _me,_ huh?” I laughed, pressing my hands to his shoulders, though it was to pull him closer rather than push him away. “Not for Mike at all?”

“Grumpy bastard can kiss my ass.”

“Uh, no, he cannot.” I protested, feigning a scowl. “Besides, he won’t be grumpy anymore if you hurry up and find Diego.”

“Well, ain’t ya full of wise ass ideas tonight?” 

“Hmm… it’s a talent.” I said lightly, giggling when Jake prevented anymore of my idiocy with his blistering kisses.

This was pretty close to my happy place. 

Scott slept obliviously in his room, which was almost as good as being alone. We were curled up on my bed, intertwined as much as it was possible, considering the thick afghan I was swathed in like a cocoon. I hated the necessity of the blanket, but it sort of ruined the romance when my teeth started chattering.

At least, if I had to be bundled up, Jake’s shirt and jacket were on the floor. I never got over the shock of how perfect his body was, white, cool, and polished as marble. I ran my hand down his stone chest now, tracing across the flat planes of his stomach, just marvelling. A light shudder rippled through him, and his mouth found mine again. Carefully, I let the tip of my tongue press against his glass smooth lip, and he sighed. His sweet breath washed, cold and delicious, over my face.

He started to pull away; that was his automatic response whenever he decided things had gone too far, his reflex reaction whenever he most wanted to keep going. Jake had spent most of his life rejecting any kind of physical gratification. I knew it was terrifying to him trying to change those habits now.

“Wait,” I said, gripping his shoulders and hugging myself close to him. I kicked one leg free and wrapped it around his waist. “Practice makes perfect.”

He chuckled. “Well, we oughta be pretty damn close to perfect by this point, huh? Ya slept at all in the last month?”

“But this is the dress rehearsal,” I reminded him, “and we’ve only practised certain scenes. It’s no time for playing safe.”

I thought he would laugh, but he didn’t answer, and his body was motionless with sudden stress. The clear depths of his eyes seemed to harden from a liquid to a solid.

I thought over my words, and realised what he would have heard in them.

“Taylor…” he whispered.

“ _Don’t_ start this again,” I said. “A deal’s a deal.”

“I dunno. 'S too hard to concentrate when ya with me like this. I—I can’t think straight. I ain’t gonna be able to control myself…" he pleaded. "Ya gonna get hurt.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Taylor...”

“ _Shh_ !” I pressed my lips to his to stop his panic attack. I’d heard it before. He wasn’t getting out of this deal. Not after insisting I marry him _first,_ as opposed to after.

He kissed me back for a moment, but I could tell he wasn’t as into it as before.

Worrying, always worrying. How different it would be when he didn’t need to worry about me anymore. What would he do with all his free time? 

He’d have to get a new hobby. 

I was fairly hopeful as to what it could be.

“How're ya feet?” he asked.

Knowing he didn’t mean that literally, I purred in reply, “Toasty warm.”

“Really? Ain't got no second thoughts? 'S not too late to change ya mind.”

“Are you trying to ditch me?”

He chuckled. “Just makin' sure. I don’t want ya to do anythin' ya ain't sure 'bout.”

“I’m sure about _you_. The rest I can live through.”

He hesitated, and I wondered if I’d put my foot in my mouth again.

“Can ya?” he asked quietly. “I don’t mean the weddin', which I'm pretty sure ya gonna survive despite ya qualms, but afterward… what 'bout Julia, what 'bout Scott an' Jordan?”

I sighed. “I’ll miss them.” Worse, that they would miss me, but I didn’t want to give him any fuel.

“Cameron an' Aiden… Zoe an' Caleb.”

“I’ll miss my friends, too.” I smiled in the darkness. “Especially Caleb. Oh, _Caleb_! Oh... how will I go on without _Caleb_?” I wailed dramatically. I thought my performance was rather good, but Jake seemed to disagree with me.

He growled.

I laughed but then was serious. “Jake, we’ve been through this and through this. I _know_ it will be hard, but this is what I want. I want _you_ , and I want you _forever_. One lifetime is simply not enough for me.”

“Frozen forever at twenty one,” he whispered.

“Every man's dream come true,” I teased.

“Never changin'… never movin' forward.”

“What does that mean?”

He answered slowly. “D'ya remember when we told Scott we're gettin' married?"

“That he thought about shooting you,” I guessed with a laugh. “Admit it; for one second, he honestly considered it.”

He didn’t answer.

“What, Jake?”

“I just wish… well, he was thinkin', how panicked he would've been if ya were a girl. He would've thought ya were pregnant.” He explained.

 _“Gah,”_ I gasped. "Thank god for my wonderful dick, because if I didn't have that; _you_ wouldn't be here." I rolled my eyes. "Why is everyone always wishing for me to be a girl? Jordan is _way_ more of a girl than me." I pouted.

"Don't be a dumbass, ya know that ain't what I meant…" Jake sighed, running a hand through his shaggy hair in exasperation. “More, that we had that kinda potential. I hate takin' that away from ya, too.”

It took me a minute. "So, what? You want me to get some sperm frozen so we can have kids with some surrogate? Like, four thousand years from now?" I snorted. Of all the stupid ideas. I blanched when he actually looked thoughtful at that. “Oh for God's sake, Jake; I know what I’m damn well doing. As a gay man, I have always been quite content with the thought of adoption! What is everyone's obsession with my… genes?!” I blushed, covering my face with my hands and shaking my head at the surreal conversation.

“How the hell d’ya know, Taylor? Look at Grace, look at Zahra. It ain't so easy a sacrifice as ya think.”

“Grace and Zahra get by just fine. If it’s a problem later, we’ll just adopt some poor lost waif from some highway… save a bunch of malnourished orphans who are being used as drug mules or something.” I insisted. "Jake, I have always known that children were not in my immediate future; and on the off chance they _were,_ they wouldn't have been biologically related to me. It doesn't bother me, will you _please_ get that in your stubborn head?"

He sighed, and then his voice was fierce. I could tell he took in about zero of everything I'd just said. “It ain't right! I don’t want ya to be makin' sacrifices for me. I wanna give ya shit, not take it away from ya. I don’t want to steal ya future. If I were human—”

I put my hand over his lips. “You _are_ my future." I said firmly. "And I do not want you to give me 'shit' because that would be gross." I added, my lips twitching when he groaned and rolled his eyes. "Now stop. No moping, or I’m calling your brothers to come and get you. Maybe you _need_ a bachelor party.”

“I’m sorry. I _am_ mopin’, ain’t I? Gotta be the nerves.”

“Are _your_ feet cold?”

“Not in _that_ sense. I been waitin' a century to marry ya, Mister Lee. Damn weddin' ceremony's the one thing I can’t wait—” He broke off mid-thought. “Aw, for fuck sake!”

“What’s wrong?”

He gritted his teeth. “Ya ain’t gotta call my brothers. Apparently Mike, Craig an' Kele ain't gonna let me bow outta tonight.”

I clutched him closer for one second and then released him. I didn’t have a prayer of winning a tug-of-war with Craig. “Have fun.”

There was a squeal against the window, someone deliberately scraping their steel nails across the glass to make a horrible, cover-your-ears, goose-bumps-down-your- spine noise. I shuddered. “If you don’t send Jake out,” Craig, still invisible in the night, hissed menacingly, “we’re coming in after him!”

“Go,” I laughed. “Before they break my dad's house.”

Jake rolled his eyes, but he got to his feet in one fluid movement and had his shirt and his jacket back on in another. He leaned down and kissed my forehead as I pouted at his covered body.

“Get to sleep. Ya gotta big day tomorrow.”

“Thanks! That’s _sure_ to help me wind down.”

“I’ll meet ya at the altar.”

“I’ll be the one in white.” I smiled at how perfectly blase I sounded.

He chuckled, said, “Real convincin',” and then suddenly sank into a crouch, his muscles coiled like a spring. He vanished, launching himself out my window too swiftly for my eyes to follow. I found it amusing that he didn’t believe I was going to be wearing white.

Outside, there was a muted thud, and I heard Craig curse.

“You’d better not make him late,” I murmured, knowing they could hear.

And then Kele’s face was peering in my window, his dark hair shimmering in the weak moonlight that worked through the clouds. “Don’t worry, Taylor. We’ll get him home in plenty of time.”

I was suddenly very calm, and my qualms all seemed unimportant. Kele was, in his own way, just as talented as Quinn with her uncannily accurate predictions.

Kele’s medium was moods rather than the future, and it was impossible to resist feeling the way he wanted you to feel.

I sat up awkwardly, still tangled in my blanket. “Kele? What do vampires do for bachelor parties? You’re not... taking him to a strip club, are you?”

“Don’t tell him anything!” Craig growled from below. There was another thud, and I heard Jake and Mike laugh together quietly, though there was an air of pain to Mike's tone. There had been for close to three months now.

“Relax,” Kele told me; and I did. “We Darwins have our own version. Just a few mountain lions, couple wolves and a grizzly bear or two. Pretty much an ordinary night out.”

I wondered if I would ever be able to sound so cavalier about the “vegetarian” vampire diet.

“Thanks, Kele.”

He winked and dropped from sight.

It was completely silent outside. Scott’s muffled snores droned through the walls.

I lay back against my pillow, sleepy now. I stared at the walls of my little room, bleached pale in the moonlight, from under heavy lids.

My last night in my room. My last night as Taylorence Lee. Tomorrow night, I would be Taylor McKenzie. I had to admit, I more than liked the sound of that.

I let my mind wander idly for a moment, expecting sleep to take me. But, after a few minutes, I found myself more alert, anxiety creeping back into my stomach, twisting it into uncomfortable positions. The bed seemed too soft, too warm without Jake in it. Kele was far away, and all the peaceful, relaxed feelings were gone with him.

It was going to be a very long day tomorrow.

I was aware that most of my fears were stupid; I just had to get over myself.

Attention was an inevitable part of life. I couldn’t always blend in with the scenery. However, I did have a few specific worries that were completely valid.

First there was the guest list.

Raj’s family, the Bhandarkar clan, would be arriving sometime before the ceremony.

It would be touchy to have Raj’s family in the same room with our guests from the Taino reservation, Diego’s father and the Nguyen’s. The Bhandarkar’s were no fans of the werewolves. In fact, Raj’s sort of sister Lila was not coming to the wedding at all. She still nursed a vendetta against the werewolves for killing her friend Grant, just as he was about to kill me. Thanks to that grudge, the Bhandarkar’s had abandoned Jake’s family in their worst hour of need. It had been the unlikely alliance with the Taino wolves that had saved all our lives when the horde of newborn vampires had attacked...

Jake had promised me it wouldn’t be dangerous to have the Bhandarkar’s near the Tainos. Raj and all his family, besides Lila, felt horribly guilty for that defection. A truce with the more understanding werewolves was a small price to make up some of that debt, a price they were prepared to pay.

That was the big problem, but there was a small problem, too: my fragile self-esteem. I’d heard of Yvonne and her partner Malatesta, but I’d never seen them before. I was fairly sure that meeting her wouldn’t be a pleasant experience for my ego. According to Jake, she was a regular flirt with him, not that I blamed her or anyone else for wanting him. Still, that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was the unknown _man_ who was coming, a man would be the beautiful at the very least and magnificent at best. Though Jake clearly; if inconceivably, preferred me, I wouldn’t be able to help making comparisons.

I had grumbled a little until Jake, who knew my weaknesses, made me feel guilty.

“We’re the closest thing they got to family, Taylor,” he’d reminded me. “They still feel like orphans, ya know, even after all this time.”

So I’d conceded, hiding my frown.

Raj had a big family now, almost as big as the Darwins. There were five of them;

Raj, Kate, and Lila had been joined by Yvonne and Malatesta much the same way the Darwins had been joined by Quinn and Kele, all of them bonded by their desire to live more compassionately than normal vampires did.

For all the company, though, Raj and his adopted sisters were still alone in one way.

Still in mourning. Because a very long time ago, they’d had a mother figure, too. Lila’s birth mother; the woman who’d turned them.

I could imagine the hole that loss would leave, even after a thousand years; I tried to visualize the Darwin family without their creator, their center, and their guide; their big brother in most minds, Mike. I couldn’t see it.

Mike had explained Raj and his families history during one of the many nights I’d stayed late at the Darwins’ home, learning as much as I could, preparing as much as was possible for the future I’d chosen. 

That was before Diego disappeared.

Lila’s mother’s story was one among many, a cautionary tale illustrating just one of the rules I would need to be aware of when I joined the immortal world. Only one rule, actually; one law that broke down into a thousand different facets: Keep the secret.

Keeping the secret meant a lot of things, living inconspicuously like the Darwins, moving on before humans could suspect they weren’t ageing. Or keeping clear of humans altogether; except at mealtime, the way nomads like Rex and Jeanine had lived; the way Kele’s friends, Adrian and Eleanor, still lived. It meant keeping control of whatever new vampires you created, like Kele had done when he’d lived with Kamilah. Like Janine had failed to do with her newborns.

And it meant not creating some things in the first place, because some creations were uncontrollable. 

“I dunno Lila’s Ma’s name,” Mike had admitted, his dark eyes, almost the exact shade of his hair, sad with remembering Lila’s pain. “They don’t speak of her if they can get outta it, never even think of her willingly.” He explained. I’d been leaning on Jake at the time, with Diego sprawled across the whole floor it seemed, eating as he almost always was.

“The woman who created Raj, Kate, and Lila; who loved ‘em, I believe, lived many years ‘fore I’s born, durin’ a time of plague in our world… the plague of the immortal children.” He said menacingly, smirking when Diego actually paused in his eating to look over at him curiously.

“What the hell they were thinkin’, those ancient morons, I can’t even begin to understand. They created vampires... outta humans who were barely more’n infants.”

I’d had to swallow back the bile that rose in my throat as I’d pictured what he was describing.

“They were real beautiful,” Mike had explained quickly, seeing my reaction. “So endearin’, so enchantin’... ya can’t imagine. Ya only had to be near ‘em to love ‘em; it ‘s an automatic thing.” He said, grinning at Diego’s snort and the roll of his eyes.

“However, they couldn’t be taught nothin’. They’re frozen at whatever level’a development they’d achieved ‘fore bein’ bit. Adorable two-year-olds with dimples an’ lisps that’d destroy half a village in one of their tantrums. If they were hungry, they fed; an’ no words’a warnin’d restrain ‘em. Humans saw ‘em, stories circulated, fear spread like fire in dry brush…” He said.

Diego had wrinkled his nose, shaking his head as he peeked up at Mike. “I’ve got a sister with kids, and I’ve never got the attraction to be honest. All they do is cry, poop and puke… not necessarily in that order, but usually on me.” 

“Shouldn’t be such a babe magnet, then should ya?” Mike had quipped easily, waving his eyebrows at him innocently and successfully shutting Diego up for another ten minutes.

“Lila’s Ma created such a kid... as with the other ancients, I can’t get her reasons.” He’d taken a deep, steadying breath. “The Volturi got involved, ‘course.”

I’d flinched as I always did at that name, but of course the legion of Italian vampires, royalty in their own estimation, was central to this story. There couldn’t be a law if there was no punishment; there couldn’t be a punishment if there was no one to deliver it. The ancients Everett, Rowan, and Silas ruled the Volturi forces; I’d only met them once, but in that brief encounter, it seemed to me that Everett, with his powerful mind-reading gift; one touch, and he knew every thought a mind had ever held, was the true leader. 

“Those guys sound like dicks.” Diego sighed, shaking his head as he regained his confidence after Mike’s teasing. “Every time I hear of them, they’re being assholes.”

“Know a lot ‘bout dicks an' assholes, do ya, Pup?” Mike queried innocently, flashing Diego a grin as he blushed; and fell silent again.

“The Volturi studied the immortal children, at home in Volterra an’ all ‘round the world. Rowan decided the young’uns were incapable of protectin’ our secret… an’ so; they had to be destroyed.” Mike went on, his tone turning sombre once more.

“I told ya they’re loveable. Well, covens fought to the last man; were utterly decimated, to protect ‘em. The carnage weren’t as widespread as the southern wars on this continent, but more devastatin’ in ‘s own way. Long established covens, old traditions, friends…” He said, spreading his palms. “Much ‘s lost. In end, the practice ‘s completely eliminated. Immortal children became unmentionable, a taboo.” He said quietly.

Not even Diego had a wisecrack for that.

“When I lived with the Volturi, I met _two_ immortal children…” Mike admitted hesitantly, his eyes distant as he looked at a far wall. Diego’s eyes had snapped toward him, curious from his quiet tone. “So I know firsthand, the appeal they got. Everett studied the little’uns for many years after the shitstorm they’d caused was over. Ya know his inquisitive disposition; he were hopeful they’d be tamed. But in the end… decision was unanimous: the immortal children couldn’t be allowed to exist.”

I’d all but forgotten the Bhandarkar’s clans mother figure, when the story returned to her.

“‘S unclear… just what happened with Lila’s Ma,” Mike had said. “Raj, Kate, and Lila were utterly oblivious ‘til the day the Volturi came for ‘em... their Ma; an’ her illegal creation, already their prisoners. It ‘s ignorance that saved Raj’s and his sisters’ lives. Everett touched ‘em an’ saw their total innocence... so they weren’t punished with their Ma.” He explained quietly. 

I’d shivered. Diego had frowned, peeking at Mike from the corner of his eyes.

“None of ‘em had ever seen the boy ‘fore, or even dreamed of his existence, ‘til the day they watched him burn... in their Ma’s arms.” Mike said, shaking his head slowly. Mike hated all forms of violence. “I can only guess their Ma had kept her secret to protect ‘em from that exact outcome. But why’d she created him in the first place? Who was he, an’ what’d he meant to her; that’d cause her to cross this most uncrossable of lines? Raj an’ the others never received an answer to any of ‘em questions. But they’d not doubt their Ma’s guilt, an’ I don’t think they’ve ever truly forgiven her.” He admitted.

“Even with Everett’s perfect assurance that Raj, Kate, and Lila were innocent, Rowan wanted ‘em to burn. Guilty by association.” Mike said, wrinkling his nose in distaste. Diego had blushed upon seeing his expression, and had quickly looked away. “They was lucky Everett felt like bein’ merciful that day. Raj an’ his sisters were pardoned, but left with unhealin’ hearts, an’ a real healthy respect for the law...”

I’m not sure where exactly the memory turned into a dream. One moment it seemed that I was listening to Mike in my memory, my eyes flicking between his and Diego’s faces, and then a moment later I was looking at a gray, barren field and smelling the thick scent of burning incense in the air. 

I was not alone there.

The huddle of figures in the centre of the field, all shrouded in ashy cloaks, should have terrified me, they could only be Volturi, and I was, against what they’d decreed at our last meeting, still human. But I knew, as I sometimes did in dreams, that I was invisible to them.

Scattered all around me were smoking heaps. I recognised the sweetness in the air and did not examine the mounds too closely. I had no desire to see the faces of the vampires they had executed, half afraid that I might recognise someone in the smouldering pyres.

The Volturi soldiers stood in a circle around something or someone, and I heard their whispery voices raised in agitation. I edged closer to the cloaks, compelled by the dream to see whatever thing or person they were examining with such intensity. Creeping carefully between two of the tall hissing shrouds, I finally saw the object of their debate, raised up on a little hillock above them.

He was beautiful, adorable, just as Mike had described. The boy was a toddler still, maybe two years of age. Light brown, shaggy hair framed his cherubic face with its round cheeks and full lips. And he was trembling, his eyes closed as if he was too frightened to watch death coming closer every second.

I was struck with such a powerful need to save the lovely, terrified child that the Volturi, despite all their devastating menace, no longer mattered to me. I shoved past them, not caring if they realised my presence. Breaking free of them altogether, I sprinted toward the boy.

Only to stagger to a halt as I got a clear view of the hillock that he sat upon. It was not earth and rock, but a pile of human bodies, drained and lifeless. Too late not to see these faces. I knew them all; Cameron, Aiden, Zoe, Caleb.… And directly beneath the adorable boy were the bodies of my father, my mother, my brother and even his boyfriend. 

The child opened his bright, blood red eyes.


	3. The Big Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dum dum da dum <3
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter - please let me know if so and if not and why's and such (feedback is inspiring - and when I'm stuck in a rut like I am now; I need as much help as you can spare me pleaaaaase <3
> 
> I won't take any more of your time - please enjoy!
> 
> x Our love to you all x

**The Big Day**

I lay shivering and gasping in my warm bed for several minutes, trying to break free of the dream. The sky outside my window turned gray and then pale pink while I waited for my heart to slow.

When I was fully back to the reality of my messy, familiar room, I was a little annoyed with myself. What a dream to have the night before my wedding! That’s what I got for obsessing over disturbing stories in the middle of the night.

Eager to shake off the nightmare, I got dressed and headed down to the kitchen long before I needed to. First I cleaned the already tidy rooms, and then when Scott was up I made him pancakes. I was much too keyed up to have any interest in eating breakfast myself; sat bouncing in my seat while he ate.

“You’re picking up Mr. Levy at three o’clock,” I reminded him.

“I don’t have that much to do today besides bring the minister, Tay-bear. I’m not likely to forget my only job.” Scott had taken the entire day off for the wedding, and he was definitely at loose ends. Now and then, his eyes flickered furtively to the closet under the stairs, where he kept his fishing gear.

“That’s not your only job. You also have to be dressed and presentable.”

He scowled into his cereal bowl and muttered the words “monkey suit” under his breath. We both laughed.

There was a brisk tapping on the front door.

“You think _you_ have it bad,” I said, grimacing as I rose. “Quinn will be working on me all day long.”

Scott nodded thoughtfully, conceding that he did have the lesser ordeal. I ducked in to kiss the top of his head as I passed, he blushed and harrumphed; and then continued on to get the door for my best _girl_ friend and soon-to-be sister.

Quinn’s long, fiery red hair was not in its usual loose style, it was piled into sleek pin curls atop her head and around her pixie face, which wore a contradictory businesslike expression. She dragged me from the house with barely a “Hey, Scott” called over her shoulder.

Quinn appraised sceptically me as I got into her Porsche.

“Oh, hell, look at your _eyes_!” She tsked in reproach. “What did you _do?_ Stay up all night?”

“Uh,” I coughed guiltily. “Almost.”

She glowered. “I’ve only allotted _so_ much time to make you stunning, Taylor… you might have taken better care of my raw material.”

“No one expects me to be stunning, Quinn.” I snorted, rolling my eyes. “I think the bigger problem is that I might fall asleep during the ceremony and not be able to say ‘I do’ at the right part, and then Jake will make his escape."

She laughed. “I’ll throw my bouquet at you when it gets close.”

“Thanks.”

“At least you’ll have plenty of time to sleep on the plane tomorrow.”

I raised one eyebrow. Tomorrow, I mused. If we were heading out tonight after the reception, and we would still be on a plane tomorrow… well, we weren’t going to Boise, Idaho. Jake hadn’t dropped a single hint. I wasn’t too stressed about the mystery, but it was strange not knowing where I would be sleeping tomorrow night. Or hopefully _not_ sleeping...

Quinn realised that she’d given something away, and she frowned.

“You’re all packed and ready,” she said to distract me.

It worked. “Quinn!” I complained. “I wish you would let me pack my own things!”

“It would have given too much away.”

“And denied you an opportunity to shop.”

“You’ll be my brother officially in ten short hours… it’s about time to get over this aversion to new clothes.” She said matter-of-factly. “You’re going to be my favourite brother, Taylor; but really, you’re going to have to work with me a little here.”

I glowered groggily out the windshield until we were almost to the house. “Is he back yet?” I asked.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be there before the music starts. But you don’t get to see him, no matter when he gets back. We’re doing this the traditional way.”

I snorted. “Traditional!”

“Okay… traditional, aside from one of the grooms.”

“You know he’s already peeked.”

“Oh no; that’s why I’m the only one who’s seen you in the suit. I’ve been very careful to not think about it when he’s around.”

“Well,” I said as we turned into the drive, “I see you got to reuse your graduation decorations.”

Three miles of drive were once again wrapped in hundreds of thousands of twinkle lights. This time, she’d added white satin bows.

“Waste not, want not. Enjoy this, because you don’t get to see the inside decorations until it’s time.”

She pulled into the cavernous garage north of the main house; Zahra’s big Jeep was still gone.

“Since when are the grooms not allowed to see the decorations?” I protested.

“Since you put me in charge. I want you to get the full impact coming down the stairs.”

She clapped her hand over my eyes before she let me inside the kitchen. I was immediately assailed by the scent.

“What is _that_?” I wondered as she guided me into the house.

“Is it too much?” Quinn’s voice was abruptly worried. “You’re the first human in here; I hope I got it right.”

“It smells wonderful!” I assured her; almost intoxicating, but not at all overwhelming, the balance of the different fragrances was subtle and flawless.

“Orange blossoms… lilac… and something else, am I right?”

“Very good, Taylor. You only missed the freesia and the roses.”

She didn’t uncover my eyes until we were in Jake’s oversized bathroom. I stared at the long counter, covered in all the paraphernalia of a beauty salon, and began to feel my sleepless night.

“Is this _really_ necessary? I’m going to look plain next to him no matter what.”

She pushed me down into a low black chair. “No one will dare to call you plain when I’m through with you.”

“Only because they’re afraid you’ll suck their blood,” I muttered.

I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes, hoping I’d be able to nap through it. I did drift in and out a little bit while she masked, buffed, and polished every surface of my body. It was after lunchtime when Zahra glided past the bathroom door in a shimmery silver gown with her dark hair piled up in a soft crown on top of her head. She was so beautiful it made me want to cry.

What was even the point of dressing up with Zahra around?

“They’re back,” Zahra said, and immediately my childish fit of despair passed.

Jake was home.

“Keep him out of here!” Quinn snarked.

“He won’t cross you today,” Zahra reassured her. “He values his undead ass too much. Grace and Aleister have got them finishing things up out back. Do you want some help? I could do his hair.”

My jaw fell open. I floundered around in my head, trying to remember how to close it.

I had never been Zahra’s favorite person in the world. Then, making things even more strained between us, she was personally offended by the choice I was making now. Though she had her impossible beauty, her loving family, and her soul mate in Craig, she would have traded it all to be human. And here I was, callously throwing away everything she wanted in life like it was garbage. It didn’t exactly warm her to me.

“Sure,” Quinn said easily. “You can start with the trim...” 

“I’m having my hair cut?” I demanded, awash with relief.

“Yes, you’re not getting married under that dastardly _mop_. Not on my watch.” Quinn scoffed.

Her hands started combing through my hair, hefting it, twisting it, illustrating in detail what she wanted and how much she wanted Zahra to take off. When she was done, Zahra’s hands replaced hers, shaping my hair with a feather-light touch before the quick sound of scissors made light work of clipping away the too long masses.

I sighed in relief, as Quinn moved back to my face.

Once Zahra received Quinn’s commendation on my hair, she was sent off to retrieve my suit and then to locate Kele, who had been dispatched to pick up my mother and her husband, Jim, from their hotel; along with my brother and his boyfriend, Michael. Downstairs, I could faintly hear the door opening and closing over and over. Voices began to float up to us.

Quinn made me stand so that she could dress me like the tiny doll she seemed to believe I was. I had tried to protest this at one point early on, but I’d quickly learned that it wasn’t worth trying to dissuade her.

My knees shook so badly as she fastened the pearl buttons of the pale blue satin shirt, that I wasn’t entirely certain if I wasn’t about to collapse to the floor. My white trousers sat perfectly on my hips, just brushing the top of some white shoes which felt divine, and perfect for dancing in; which was a huge plus.

“Deep breaths, Taylor,” Quinn said. “And try to lower your heart rate. You’re going to sweat and stain your suit.” She mused, as she deftly tied my gold, striped tie; and then helped me into my tan brown waistcoat.

I gave her the best sarcastic expression I could manage. “I’ll get right on that.” I snarked as she buttoned my waistcoat and then grabbed my white blazer, smiling as she smoothed the fabric over my arms.

“I have to get dressed now.” She said, cupping my face between her palms. “Can you hold yourself together for two minutes?”

“Um… maybe?”

She rolled her eyes and darted out the door.

I concentrated on my breathing, counting each movement of my lungs, and stared at the patterns that the bathroom light made on the shiny fabric of my suit. I was afraid to look in the mirror, afraid the image of myself in the wedding attire would send me over the edge into a full-scale panic attack.

I was getting married; _me_ … and my best friend was going to miss it.

I winced, lowering my eyes and trying to pretend my heart hadn’t just sunk right through the floor.

Quinn was back before I had taken two hundred breaths, in a dress that flowed down her slender body like a glorious purple waterfall.

“Quinn… _wow_.”

“It’s nothing. No one will be looking at me today. Not while you’re in the room.”

“ _Ha_!” I snorted.

“Now, are you in control of yourself, or do I have to bring Kele up here?”

“They’re back? Is everyone here?”

“Your mom just walked in the door, she’s on her way up. Jordan and Michael are just behind her.”

Julia had flown in two days ago, and I’d spent every minute I could with her; every minute that I could pry her away from Grace, Quinn and the decorations, in other words. As far as I could tell, she was having more fun with this than a kid locked inside Disneyland overnight. In a way, I felt almost as cheated as Scott. All that wasted terror over her reaction...

“Oh, Taylor!” she squealed now, gushing before she was all the way through the door. “Oh, baby, you’re so beautiful! Oh, I’m going to cry! Quinn, you’re _amazing_! You and Grace should go into business as wedding planners. Where did you find this suit? It’s gorgeous! So graceful, so elegant. Taylor, you look like you just stepped out of an Bond movie.” My mother’s voice sounded a little distance away, and everything in the room was slightly blurry. “Such a creative idea, designing the theme around Taylor’s ring. So romantic! To think it’s been in Jake’s family since the eighteen hundreds!”

Quinn and I exchanged a brief conspiratorial look. My mom was off on the suit style by more than a hundred years. The wedding wasn’t actually centred around the ring, but around Jake himself.

“Doofus, you look… well, _almost_ as good as me for once.” Jordan’s irritating voice rolled over me, oddly calming as I rolled my eyes at him.

“I’ll have you know he looks better than most models today.” Quinn said snidely, bristling at him.

“Like I said,” he snickered, winking at her playfully. “ _Almost_ as good as me.”

“Uh, hey, Taylor… you look amazing.” Michael said, carefully diverting Jordan away from Quinn’s furious glare. “Quinn’s done an epic job of making you a star.”

“Hmm… at least one of you has taste.” Quinn sniffed, stepping away to go and gather some other essentials. 

“Hi Michael,” I greeted him, slapping my palm into his hand warmly. “Hi, Jerk.” I added, turning to Jordan with a grin. “Ah, ah! Mind the suit… or Quinn may murder you.” I was only semi-teasing, because I was fairly sure she would if he damaged my suit in anyway.

“Urgh, you’re such a loser.” Jordan heaved a weary sigh, but he was grinning as he shoved a box into my hand. “Here.”

I frowned, leaning toward Michael. “Should I open this, or throw it away now?” I whispered.

Michael laughed, throwing his boyfriend an apologetic but adoring look as Jordan pouted.

“Michael!” He whined, stamping his foot as I sniggered and opened the box.

I blinked, my brows raising in surprise. “This is…”

“Don’t make a big deal of it… I just figured, you know,” Jordan huffed, fidgeting awkwardly. “You’d want it.”

“What on earth is _that?_ ” Quinn demanded, stalking back in with a large box and giving my newest gift some major stink eye.

“It’s our favourite teddy bear from when we were kids.” I explained distractedly, flicking Mr Red’s twisted black arm fondly. “Jordan stole him when we moved—”

“I did not!”

“We used to pretend he was a powerful ghost, who liked to play games.” I said, ignoring Jordan’s interruption entirely.

“Oh… well, isn’t that just… lovely.” Quinn said unconvincingly, smiling brightly as she slipped Mr Red from my hold and quickly replaced it with the big box. “Ahem, I think you wanted to give this to…” she said pointedly, tipping her head toward Michael.

“Oh, yeah, thanks…” I said, frowning as she made to steal out of the room quickly. “Hey, put him in my room! I’ll be checking when I get back!” I called after her. I was sure I heard her sigh wearily. I shook my head and turned to Michael. “Here ya go.” I said, thrusting the box into his arms.

“Uh,” Michael laughed awkwardly. “Is this some backwards wedding thing, where the grooms get the guests presents?” He asked, shaking his head as he set the box on the floor and hesitantly opened it.

“Noooo,” I teased, biting my lip as I strained to peer into the box. I smiled at his gasp, his eyes rising to mine in surprise. “We were kind of hoping you’d record the ceremony for us..? And we thought it was only fair you had the best equipment to work with, if you agreed.”

It was only partly a lie; I’d got him the most top of the range camera possible to thank him for his help and encouragement, in the time when Jake and I had been… apart. He didn’t need to know that though, so the wedding was the perfect cover to give it to him.

I’d been very good about it; I hadn’t even complained when Jake told me how much it cost him.

“Taylor, this is…” Michael choked, shaking his head in disbelief.

“I think Zahra already set it all up…” I said, hoping to alleviate whatever thanks he’d been thinking of giving me. “She’s actually good with this stuff, unlike Jake who’s… worse than useless.” I scoffed.

It really wasn’t fair he passed all his exams, given what a total technophobe he really was. He still hadn’t figured out how to change the caller I.D photo I’d given myself on his phone… of my ass. 

“Yeah, but… Taylor, I don’t think these are even on the market yet!” Michael protested, as Jordan raised a brow and looked back and forth between us.

“Um, Taylor?” He said, a small frown forming. “Why did you just give my boyfriend a huge boner?”

“Urgh, I can’t believe we shared a womb sometimes.” I complained. “Mom! Jordan’s being an asshole to me _on my wedding day!_ ” I tattled, scowling at him.

“Jordan, babe, c’mon…” Michael sighed, rolling his eyes as he carefully dug the camera out of its box and held it up before him in awe. “Let’s… go find a good place to start recording.” He said, snatching up Jordan’s hand as I sighed with relief. “Thanks again, Taylor!”

“Hey! Michael, wait—!” Jordan’s protests faded quickly, much to my relief. There was only a very small dose of Jordan jealousy I could handle, and now was definitely not a good time for it.

“Taylor, can’t you just be nice to your brother?” Julia sighed.

 _“Me?”_ I yelped. “It’s _my_ wedding day and _he’s_ being a—”

My ranting was interrupted, when there was a loud, gruff throat-clearing in the doorway.

“Julia, Grace said it’s time you got settled down there,” Scott said.

“Well, Scott, don’t you look dashing!” Julia said in a tone that was almost shocked. That might have explained the crustiness of Scott’s answer.

“Quinn got to me.”

“Is it really time already?” Julia said to herself, sounding almost as nervous as I felt. “This has all gone so fast. I feel dizzy.”

That made two of us.

“Give me a hug before I go down,” Julia insisted. “Carefully now, don’t tear anything.”

My mother squeezed me gently around the waist, then wheeled for the door, only to complete the spin and face me again.

“Oh goodness, I almost forgot! Scott, where’s the box?”

My dad rummaged in his pockets for a minute and then produced a small white box, which he handed to Julia. She lifted the lid and held it out to me.

“Something blue,” she said.

“Something old, too. They were your Grandma Lee’s,” Scott added. “We had a jeweller replace the paste stones with sapphires.”

Inside the box were two heavy silver cuff links. Dark blue sapphires were clustered into tiny but intricate floral shapes.

My throat got all thick. “Mom, Dad… you shouldn’t have.”

“Quinn wouldn’t let us do anything else,” Julia said. “Every time we tried, she all but ripped our throats out.”

A hysterical giggle burst through my lips.

Quinn stepped up and quickly slid both cuff links into my shirt sleeves. “That’s something old and something blue,” Quinn mused, taking a few steps back to admire me. “And your suit is new… so here—”

She flicked something at me. I held my hands out automatically, and the filmy white garter landed in my palms.

“That’s mine and I want it back,” Quinn told me.

I blushed.

“There,” Quinn said with satisfaction. “A little colour; that’s all you needed. You are officially perfect.” With a little self-congratulatory smile, she turned to my parents. “Julia, you need to get downstairs.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Julia blew me a kiss and hurried out the door.

“Scott, would you grab the flowers, please?”

While Scott was out of the room, Quinn hooked the garter out of my hands and then dropped to her knees. I gasped and tottered as her cold hand caught my ankle; and she yanked the garter into place under my trousers.

She was back on her feet before Scott returned with the two frothy white bouquets. The scent of roses and orange blossom and freesia enveloped me in a soft mist.

Aleister, the best musician in the family next to Jake; began playing the piano downstairs. Pachelbel’s Canon. I began hyperventilating. I was getting married, I was getting married, _I was getting marr—_

“Easy, Tay-Bear,” Scott said. He turned to Quinn nervously. “He looks a little sick. Do you think he’s going to make it?”

His voice sounded far away. I couldn’t feel my legs.

“He’d damn well better.” Quinn stood right in front of me, on her tiptoes to better stare me in the eye, and gripped my wrists in her hard hands. “Focus, Taylor. Jake is waiting for you down there.”

I took a deep breath, willing myself into composure. Excitement burned in my veins, my heart fluttering like a hummingbird as I visualised Jake; waiting for me.

The music slowly morphed into a new song, picking up the tempo in some places. I snorted at Aleister showing off.

Scott nudged me. “Tay-Bear, we’re up to bat.” Even walking down the goddamn aisle, I was having to put up with that stupid nickname.

I mentally sighed. I could deal with it; just a little longer.

“Taylor?” Quinn asked, still holding my gaze.

“Yes,” I said, biting my lip against a small smile. “Jake. Okay.” I let her guide me from the room, with Scott tagging along at my elbow.

The music was louder in the hall. It floated up the stairs along with the fragrance of a million flowers. I concentrated on the idea of Jake waiting below, and had to slow my feet to a shuffle to keep from dragging my dad off his feet.

The music was familiar, Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons; surrounded by a flood of embellishments.

“It’s my turn,” Quinn chimed. “Count to five and follow me.” She began a slow, graceful dance down the staircase. I should have realised that having Quinn as my maid of honour was a mistake. I would look that much more uncoordinated coming behind her.

A sudden fanfare trilled through the soaring music. I recognised my cue.

“Don’t let me fall, Dad,” I whispered.

Scott pulled my hand through his arm and then grasped it tightly. "Never, kiddo."

One step at a time, I told myself as we began to descend to the slow tempo of the traditional march. I didn’t lift my eyes until my feet were safely on the flat ground, though I could hear the murmurs and rustling of the audience as I came into view. Blood flooded my cheeks at the sound; of course I could be counted on to be the blushing one.

As soon as my feet were past the treacherous stairs, I was looking for him. For a brief second, I was distracted by the profusion of white blossoms that hung in garlands from everything in the room that wasn’t alive, dripping with long lines of white gossamer ribbons. But I tore my eyes from the bowery canopy and searched across the rows of satin-draped chairs, blushing more deeply as I took in the crowd of faces all focused on me, until I found him at last, standing before an arch overflowing with more flowers, more gossamer.

I was barely conscious that Mike stood by his side, and Cameron’s father behind them both. I didn’t see my mother where she must have been sitting in the front row, or my brother; or Michael, wherever he'd got to, with his new camera to video the big event for me. I didn't see my new family, or any of the guests; they would have to wait till later.

All I really saw was Jake’s face; it filled my vision and overwhelmed my mind.

His hair was swept into a tidy style for what was possibly the second time since I'd met him, wearing a smart shirt and tie, complete with waistcoat. I didn't think I'd ever seen him look so handsome, and that was saying something.

His eyes were a liquid cyan; his perfect face was almost severe with the depth of his emotion. And then, as he met my awed gaze, he broke into a breathtaking smile of exultation.

It was only the pressure of Scott’s hand on mine that kept me from sprinting headlong down the aisle.

The march was too slow as I struggled to pace my steps to its rhythm. Mercifully, the aisle was very short. And then, at last, _at last_ , I was there. Jake held out his hand. Scott took my hand and, in a symbol as old as the world, placed it in Jake’s. I touched the cool miracle of his skin, and I was home.

Our vows were the simple, traditional words that had been spoken a million times, though never by a couple quite like us. We’d asked Mr. Levy to make only one small change. He obligingly traded the line “till death do us part” for the more appropriate “as long as we both shall live.”

In that moment, as the minister said his part, my world, which had been upside down for so long now, seemed to settle into its proper position. I looked into Jake’s shining, triumphant eyes and knew that I was winning, too. Because nothing else mattered but that I could stay with him. Forever.

I didn’t realise I was crying until it was time to say the binding words.

“I do,” I managed to choke out in a nearly unintelligible whisper, blinking my eyes clear so I could see his face.

When it was his turn to speak, the words rang clear and victorious.

“I do,” he vowed.

Mr. Levy declared us husband and husband, and then Jake’s hands reached up to cradle my face, carefully, as if it were as delicate as the white petals swaying above our heads. I tried to comprehend, through the film of tears blinding me, the surreal fact that this amazing person was mine. His cerulean eyes looked as if they would have tears, too, if such a thing were not impossible. He bent his head toward mine, and I stretched up on the tips of my toes, throwing my arms, bouquet and all, around his neck.

He kissed me tenderly, adoringly; I forgot the crowd, the place, the time, the reason… only remembering that he loved me, that he wanted me; that I was his.

He began the kiss, and he had to end it; I clung to him, ignoring the titters and the throat-clearing in the audience. Finally, his hands restrained my face and he pulled back, far too soon, to look at me. On the surface his sudden smile was amused, almost a smirk. But underneath his momentary entertainment at my public exhibition was a deep joy that echoed my own.

The crowd erupted into applause, and he turned our bodies to face our friends and family. I couldn’t look away from his face to see them.

My mother’s arms were the first to find me, her tear-streaked face the first thing I saw when I finally tore my eyes unwillingly from Jake. And then I was handed through the crowd, passed from embrace to embrace, only vaguely aware of who held me, my attention centred on Jake’s hand clutched tightly in my own. I did recognise the difference between the soft, warm hugs of my human friends and the gentle, cool embraces of my new family.

Two scorching hugs stood out from all the others; Miles Nguyen and Tom Sato had braved the throng of vampires, to stand in for my lost werewolf best friend.


	4. Puzzle Pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pleaaaaaaaaaaaase let me know what you think - i am in desperate need of a boost to actually get me to WRITE again  
> i am in a major flunk and really need the support youre so amazing at giving <3  
> I know ChildOfSolace could use some hugs and support too rn - so don't forget to share the love! XD  
> thankyou all for everything youve ever given us, kudos and comments - it means more than words can say
> 
> please give us both as much love as you can and let us know what you think of this addition
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> x Our love to you all x

**Puzzle Pieces**

The wedding flowed into the reception party smoothly; proof of Quinn’s flawless planning. It was just twilight over the river; the ceremony had lasted exactly the right amount of time, allowing the sun to set behind the trees. The lights in the trees glimmered as Jake led me through the glass back doors, making the white flowers glow. There were another ten thousand flowers out here, serving as a fragrant, airy tent over the dance floor set up on the grass under two of the ancient cedars.

Things slowed down, relaxed as the surprisingly mellow, for late October, evening surrounded us. The little crowd spread out under the soft shine of the twinkle lights, and we were greeted again by the friends we’d just embraced. There was time to talk now, to laugh.

“Congrats, guys,” Miles Nguyen told us, ducking his head under the edge of a flower garland. His mother, Astrid, was tight by his side, eyeing the guests with wary intensity. Her face was thin and fierce, an expression that was not at all accented by her long, blonde hair. Ricardo Soto, on Miles’s other side, was not as tense as Astrid.

When I looked at Diego’s father, I always felt like I was seeing two people rather than just one. There was the old man in the wheelchair with the lined face and the white smile that everyone else saw. And then there was the direct descendant of a long line of powerful, magical chieftains, cloaked in the authority he’d been born with. Though the magic had, in the absence of a catalyst, skipped his generation,

Ricardo was still a part of the power and the legend. It flowed straight through him. It flowed to his son, the heir to the magic, who had turned his back on it. And apparently on me, and the life he said he'd chosen for himself.

That left Sean Gayle to act as the chief of legends and magic now… I tried not to think about that though. It only pissed me off.

Ricardo was at ease in his chair. A year ago, this wouldn't have been the case; considering the company and the event, but now his black eyes sparkled with genuine happiness for me, and his handshake with Jake was firm and friendly. I was impressed by his composure. Once upon a time, this wedding must have seemed like the worst thing that could happen to his best friend’s son, in Ricardo’s eyes.

I knew it hadn’t been easy for him to restrain his feelings, considering the challenge this event foreshadowed to the ancient treaty between the Darwins and the Tainos, the treaty that prohibited the Darwins from ever creating another vampire. But like his son, before he disappeared, Ricardo had come to understand that not all prejudices were deserved; and sometimes, the enemy was in fact _not_ the enemy.

The wolves knew a breach was coming, but the Darwins had no idea how they would react.

Sean had insisted that the treaty was as good as broken already, and yet he'd ordered the pack not to change? I was still convinced he knew more than he was letting on.

As if in response to that thought, Miles leaned toward Jake, arms extended. Jake returned the hug with his free arm.

I saw Astrid shudder delicately.

“It’s good to see things work out for you, man,” Miles said. “I’m happy for you.”

“Cheers, Kid. Means a lot to me.” Jake pulled away from Miles and looked at Astrid and Ricardo. “Thank _you_ , an' all. For lettin' Miles come. For supportin' Taylor today.”

“You’re welcome,” Ricardo said in his deep, gravelly voice, and I was pleased at the optimism in his tone. 

His eyes cut toward the bar, a flicker of guilt and sadness breaching his warm eyes briefly. I knew who he saw, and who it made him think of. I wished I could make both their pain and my own disappear, but until the missing link between us was returned home, there was little I could realistically do.

A bit of a line was forming, so Miles waved goodbye and wheeled Ricardo toward the bar, to talk to Mike and discuss possible new locations to search, I had no doubt. Astrid kept one hand on each of them.

Cameron and Aiden were the next to claim us, followed by Cameron’s parents and then Caleb and Zoe; who were, to my surprise, holding hands. I hadn’t heard that they were together again. That was nice.

Behind my human friends were my new cousins-in-law, the Bhandarkar vampire clan.

I realised I was holding my breath as the dark haired vampire in front, Yvonne I assumed from the lecherous grin, reached out to embrace Jake.

These vampires were _not_ what I expected.

Next to Yvonne, three other vampires with openly curious eyes stared at me. One woman had long soft curls of vivid red hair, which fell way past her shoulders. The other two men beside her, were again, as different as could be. One was blond and had a scruffy beard, and was eyeing Yvonne's enthusiastic hug with Jake with no small amount of frustration. The other man was… large. His rounded belly was something I had very much not expected, and his black hair fell in long curly waves past his shoulders. His skin was a shade darker than Kele's, reminding me more of Sean Gayle; only, with a hint of pale ash to his complexion.

But even through their differences, they were all four so beautiful that it made my stomach hurt.

Yvonne was _still_ holding Jake.

“Ah, Jake,” she said. “I ’ave missed you, non?”

The french accent took me by surprise.

Jake chuckled and deftly manoeuvred himself out of the hug, placing his hand lightly on her shoulder and stepping back, as if to get a better look at her. “'S been too long, Yvonne. Ya look well.”

“So do _you_.” She purred.

“Lemme introduce ya to my _husband_.” It was the first time Jake had said that word since it was officially true; he seemed like he would explode with satisfaction saying it now. The Bhandarkar's all laughed lightly in response. “Yvonne... this is my Taylor.”

Yvonne was every bit as lovely as my worst nightmares had predicted. Her long dark curls fell just shy of her shoulders, her waist tiny in a gorgeous corset which looked like it came right from the sixteen hundreds. It probably did. She eyed me with a look that was much more speculative than it was resigned, and then reached out to take my hand.

“Welcome to ze family, Taylor.” She smiled, a little rueful. “We consider ourselves Mike’s extended family, and I am sorry about ze, er, recent incident... when we did not behave as such. We should 'ave met you sooner. Can you forgive us?”

“Of course,” I said breathlessly. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

“The Darwins are all evened up in numbers now. Perhaps it will be _your_ turn next, eh, Katie?” The large dark man laughed.

“Keep the dreaming, bub.” Kate muttered with a roll of her blue eyes. " _You're_ more likely to find someone and settle down than I am." She sniffed, as she took my hand from Yvonne’s and squeezed it gently. “Welcome, Taylor.”

The dark haired man pulled my hand out of Kate’s, as he swept me up into a huge, if gentle hug. “I’m Raj, love matchmaker extraordinaire and culinary genius!" He declared with a wide grin that I couldn't help but grin back at, even as I patted his arm awkwardly to be put down and returned to my new husband. The warmth of his personality was the polar opposite of his cold skin. "And this _moody_ thing, is Malatesta." He added, gesturing to the blond man with his arm now firmly around Yvonne "We’re all so pleased to finally meet you, little doodlejump!”

“M-me, too,” I stuttered.

Raj glanced at the people waiting behind him; Scott’s deputy, Damien, and his lover Kai. Their eyes were huge as they took in the Bhandarkar clan.

“We’ll get to know each other later, little dude! We’ll have eons of time for that!” Raj laughed in a theatrical, and not at all quiet whisper, as he and his family moved on.

All the standard traditions were kept. I was blinded by flashbulbs as we held the knife over a spectacular cake; too grand, I thought, for our relatively intimate group of friends and family. We took turns shoving cake in each other’s faces; Jake manfully swallowed his portion as I watched in disbelief. Quinn had me throw a bouquet; with my typical lack of skill, right into Cameron’s surprised hands. Craig and Kele howled with laughter at my blush while Jake removed my borrowed garter, which I’d shimmied down nearly to my ankle beneath my trousers, very carefully with his teeth. With a quick wink at me, he shot it straight into Caleb Mitchell’s face.

And when the music started, Jake pulled me into his arms for the customary first dance; I went willingly, exultant at the thought of dancing, although not so much of dancing in front of an audience, but still just happy to have him holding me. He did most of the work, and I twirled effortlessly under the glow of a canopy of lights and the bright flashes from the cameras.

“Enjoyin' the party, Mr. McKenzie?” he whispered in my ear.

I laughed. “ _That_ will take a while to get used to.”

“We gotta while,” he reminded me, his voice exultant, and he leaned down to kiss me while we danced. Cameras clicked feverishly. The music changed, and Scott tapped on Jake’s shoulder.

It wasn’t nearly as easy to dance with Scott. He was rather less enthusiastic about dancing than I was, so we moved safely from side to side in a tiny square formation. Aleister and Grace spun around us like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, I caught a brief glimpse of Aleister’s piercing clear blue eyes; full of smug pride and adoration combined.

“I’m going to miss you at home, Tay-Bear... I’m already lonely.”

I spoke through a tight throat, trying to make a joke of it. “I feel just horrible, leaving you to cook for yourself… it’s practically criminal negligence. You should arrest me.”

He grinned. “I suppose I’ll survive the food. Just, call me whenever you can.”

“I promise, Daddy.” I said, my throat finally closing to the point that words became impossible.

Scott kissed my cheek, ruffled my hair, much to my irritation; and then moved aside to reveal Jordan awaiting my attention.

“What do _you_ want?” I grumbled, sniffing as I tried to get a grip on myself.

“Can’t have the best looking brother sitting on the sidelines all night.” Jordan replied, grinning at me as I rolled my eyes. “Oh, come on… you know you want to.”

I sighed wearily, rolling my whole neck in feigned resignation before tugging Jordan close and spinning him quickly around the dance floor. “There, now I made you look good. Happy?” I snorted, once we’d reached the opposite end of the room. 

Jordan laughed and drew me into a hug. I hesitated, before wrapping my arms around him in return, tucking my chin over his shoulder. Jordan and I didn’t usually do _real_ emotional stuff. “He’s gonna take care of you, right?” He whispered, as I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t like Jordan, I didn’t need to be taken care of, well… not in the way that he meant. But of course, I didn’t say that.

“Of course. He married me.” I teased quietly.

“No, you know what I mean…” Jordan whined. “Like, he won’t _hurt_ you again… right?”

I smiled sadly over his shoulder. “No, Jake won’t ever hurt me again.” I promised. The three days of pain weren’t going to be his fault after all; it had been my choice. 

We parted as our mom walked over, smiling and gushing about getting a photo of us together. “Mom!” We complained together, tussling playfully.

Quinn stepped up beside me, raising a brow as I abruptly released Jordan from the headlock I held him in under my arm. “Uh,” I coughed. “Suits fine.” I said sheepishly, grinning as I ran my hand over the lapels.

Quinn was about to reply, when Jim walked over with a small digital camera and asked us to all squeeze in together. As she always did when Jim was around, Quinn turned unusually quiet, biting her lip as she agreed to pose between myself and Jordan as Jim asked.

“You look mighty beautiful, miss Quinn.” He said after having taken his picture. “Taylor’s a lucky man to be getting you for a sister.” He said.

I nudged her playfully when she didn’t respond. “Or she’s lucky to be getting me as a brother… I mean, Jake’s pretty terrible to her sometimes. But I’ll straighten him out.” I promised, squeezing her hand as she came back to herself.

“Yes, you’re going to be my favourite brother, Taylor.” She laughed lightly, smiling gratefully, before slipping away with a murmur of finding Kele.

I sighed, exchanging a hug with Julia; before she dragged Jordan off with her and Jim to let me mingle with other well wishers.

It seemed like I danced with everyone. It was good to see all my old friends, but I really wanted to be with Jake more than anything else. I was happy when he finally cut in, just half a minute after a new dance started.

“Still not that fond of Caleb, eh?” I snickered as Jake whirled me away from him.

“Not when I gotta listen to his damn thoughts. He’s lucky I ain’t kicked him out… or worse.” He muttered darkly.

“Yeah, right.” I snorted.

“Have ya actually had a chance to _look_ at yaself?”

“Um. No, I guess not. Why?”

“Then I s’pose ya don’t realize how utterly, ridiculously hot ya are tonight. Taylor, ya so beautiful it bloody _hurts_ .” He sighed with exasperation as I blushed at his obvious over exaggeration. “I ain’t surprised Mitchell’s havin’ difficulty with improper thoughts ‘bout a married man. I _am_ disappointed Quinn didn’t make sure ya were forced to look in a mirror at some point.”

“You are very biased, you know.”

He sighed and then paused and turned me around to face the house. The wall of glass reflected the party back like a long mirror. Jake pointed to the couple in the mirror directly across from us.

“Biased, huh?”

I caught just a glimpse of Jake’s reflection, a perfect duplicate of his perfect face, with a red haired beauty at his side. His skin was cream with a touch of a rose blush adorning his cheeks, his eyes were huge with excitement and bright with joy. The cut of the shimmering white suit flared out subtly at the ankles, cut so skilfully that his body looked elegant and graceful; while it was motionless, at least.

Before I could blink and make the beauty turn back into me, Jake suddenly stiffened and turned automatically in the other direction, as if someone had called his name.

“Oh!” He said. His brow furrowed for an instant and then smoothed out just as quickly.

Suddenly, he was smiling brilliantly, but there was an edge to his smile.

“What is it?” I asked.

“A... surprise weddin’ gift.”

“Huh?”

He didn’t answer; he just started dancing again, spinning me the opposite way we’d been headed before, away from the lights and then into the deep swath of night that ringed the luminous dance floor.

He didn’t pause until we reached the dark side of one of the huge cedars. Then Jake tucked me behind him and looked straight into the blackest shadow.

“Hey,” Jake said to the darkness. “I heard ya…”

“I… hoped you would.” A husky, but familiar voice answered from the black night. “Can I cut in?”

My hand flew up to my throat, and if Jake hadn’t been holding me I would have collapsed. “Diego!” I choked as soon as I could breathe. _“Diego!”_

“Hey, Taylor.”

I stumbled toward the sound of his voice. Jake kept his grip on my arm, holding me back until another set of strong hands found me in the darkness. The heat from Diego’s skin burned right through the thin satin suit as he pulled me close. He made no effort to dance; he just let me bury my face in his chest and cry with relief.

He curled his arms around me slowly, hesitant and uncertain.

“I uh, I’m gonna go… talk to the others quick.” Jake murmured, and I knew he was leaving us, going to find Mike; who was no doubt still at the bar, and inform him of Diego’s appearance.

“Wait,” Diego’s urgent call to Jake was almost a yelp, and he shoved me back a step as if I’d burned him.

“Diego...” I was crying now; I couldn’t get the words out clearly. “What the—”

“Stop blubbering, Taylor, you’ll ruin your suit.” He murmured, though he wouldn’t look at me, he was looking at Jake, as if desperately willing him to understand something. “It’s... just me.”

 _“Just?”_ Jake repeated, frowning at Diego in confusion, his head cocked as if trying to understand a highly complicated puzzle.

“Dude! Everything is perfect now.” I gushed, ignoring their weirdness that was passing between my husband and my best friend who’d been missing for three months. 

He snorted. “Yeah, the party can start. The best man _finally_ made it.” Diego said bitterly, shaking his head and swallowing thickly.

“Now everyone I love is here.”

I watched as he sighed and lowered his head guiltily. “... sorry I’m late.”

“I’m just so happy you made it!”

“That was the idea...”

I scowled and swatted his shoulder, shoving Jake off of me when he darted forward to drag me back a step. “You asshole!” I yelled in a whisper, my temper flaring now my relief was out of the way. “Where the _bloody_ hell have you been?!”

“Uh, that’s…” Diego swallowed thickly, his eyes intent on Jake, as if trying to tell him something I couldn’t hear.

I glanced at Jake, who was frowning as he stared back at Diego, shaking his head slowly as if confused by whatever he heard.

I sighed and glanced toward the guests, leaving them to their silent battle for a moment, but I couldn’t see through the dancers to the spot the bar. “Mike’s been going nuts dude, I’ll go get—”

“No!” Diego’s yelp was pained and terrified, his entire body rippling with a sudden vicious wave of fear and fury.

“Taylor, stay behind me!” Jake ordered, shoving me back a step as he held out his hand to Diego. “Whoa, Pinky… whoa, easy, ‘kay?” He said, as if soothing a wild animal. I realised that with Diego quivering the way he was, gripping his own head as if terrified he was about to come apart at the seams; that was exactly what he was right now. “‘S alright… we ain’t gonna bring him over, ‘kay?”

“But… he’ll be so glad you’re home.” I said lowly, confusion sweeping through me as I frowned at Diego, watching him slowly calm himself down. “Don’t… don’t you _want_ to see him?”

Diego sniffed and winced, panting heavily as he scowled at the floor. “More than anything.” He whispered brokenly, shaking his head as he ran his fingers into his hair and pulled sharply, as if battling some enormous pain. “But I can’t, I _can’t_!” He gasped suddenly, falling to his knees as he growled quietly to himself, shaking his head in denial.

“Holy shit,” Jake said, a snarl escaping beneath his breath as he glanced back at me. “‘S hard to see, ‘s blocked… he’s been told not to think ‘bout it ‘round me.”

 _“Told?”_ Realisation hit me like a goddamn freight train. My breath escaped me in a rush, my heart leaping into my throat as my blood boiled in my veins. “Gayle…”

“Ya right, Boy Scout… ya always were.” Jake said quietly, shaking his head in disgust. “Were all mind games an’ fuckin’ power trips.”

“What happened?” I demanded, trying to dodge around Jake’s arm to reach Diego. “What did he _do_ to him?”

“I can’t… ‘s like there’s a wall.” Jake said, shaking his head in bafflement. “A fog… he’s tryin’ to tell me, but I can’t see it right.”

“Then how the hell do we fix it?” I demanded, shoving at Jake’s arm again. “He’s _hurting_ Jake! What the hell do we _do_?!”

He shook his head. “I… I dunno.” He said uncertainly. “But he’s terrified of seein’ Mike, so I’m guessin’ Gayle’s given him an order.” He said, glancing at me when I raised a brow and shoved his arm in irritation. I was in no mood for guessing games. “An order to _attack_ , Taylor.

“No!” I hissed, swallowing thickly as I looked back at Diego, who was panting heavily as he stared at the ground and trembled. “That’s too cruel… even for him.” I said quietly, my hand balling into a fist. As soon as I was immortal, I was going to punch that son of a bitch so hard, his grandchildren would still feel it.

"What do we do?" I whispered, biting my lip nervously. 

"I oughta go warn Mike…" Jake said, running a hand through his hair and disrupting the dashing style. I was distantly aware that Quinn would be mad. "Just… don't move, alright?" He asked, glancing at me worriedly.

"Diego won't hurt me." I said, frowning at him in disapproval of his unsubtle suggestion.

Jake flashed me a sad smile, before looking back at Diego. "Right now, that _ain't_ Diego. Just… lemme warn Mike'n then I'll be back." He said, his lips skimming my cheek softly as he passed.

My eyes were adjusting to the gloom more by the second, and I blinked in surprise at Diego’s appearance. His hair was even longer, just beginning to tickle the top of his shoulders; and he sported a beard which had been roughly trimmed recently, but was otherwise… pretty wild. I barely noticed Jake disappearing, my attention too focused on Diego and his obvious struggle as he tried to resist something which had been thrust upon him. 

It was a relief to see his familiar features again after all this time, although I obviously wished the circumstances could have been better.

His eyes were tight around the edges, pained; I could see that he was in tremendous pain tonight. He was doing all he could to make to not slip and do something that would hurt him even more than these missing three months had.

I’d never done anything good enough to deserve a friend like Diego.

“Did you want to know Aleister's eye colour?”

“Aleister..?” He took a deep breath before he answered nodded slowly. “Sure… why not.” He huffed. He sounded very disinterested, but his quivering eased and he seemed to relax slightly.

"It's blue… clear, bright. Jake and Quinn kinda blue." I said, pleased my pitiful attempt at a distraction was working. 

"Heh, regular Ice Prince, huh?" Diego chuckled, before sighing quietly. "I'm… happy," he paused to flinch violently, "for him."

"Diego…" I murmured, biting my lip hesitantly, before doing what I did best; and throwing caution to the wind. Diego stiffened as I knelt and folded my arms around him, his trembling worse for a brief second, before he sighed and leaned his head against my side.

He snorted quietly. “You wouldn’t believe how weird this feels… walking around on two legs again. And clothes!" He mumbled, and my heart melted at how tired he sounded. "And then it’s even more weird; because it feels weird. I didn’t expect that. I’m out of practice with the whole... _human_ thing.”

He sighed again, as I wove my fingers through his long and shaggy hair.

“Diego… what happened?” I murmured, even though I knew he couldn't answer. "We looked everywhere for you…"

“Taylor, I'm so sorry...” Diego said, his tired voice seeming far too old for his years. "I tried to—" his mouth opened, but only a thick gagging sound escaped him, and he snapped his mouth shut again.

“It’s okay… you're here now." I soothed apologetically. "You're home.” I said gently. "Your dad and Mike have been getting on really well, ya know." I murmured, looking down at Diego as he flicked his eyes up to me in surprise. "They talk almost every day, mostly about you…"

“M-Mike...” Diego sniffed, and then he began to tremble again. This time however, it wasn't him losing control. He was crying. "Oh god… I never should've-" he choked off, gagging on air once more, before he sucked in a deep breath and forced himself to cease his weak trembling. He sighed and shook his head sadly. "I'm so sorry."

“Don't be sorry, assbutt.” I scolded gently. "You made it back… that's all that matters now."

Diego said nothing in reply. I noticed his hands, curling and uncurling in his lap as we waited.

“Have you… seen any good places?" I asked curiously.

"A few, I guess… wasn't really paying much attention, if I'm honest.” He mumbled. 

“Why not?”

“Too much… noise.” He said, hissing as he flinched away from me slightly. "In my head."

I frowned in concern. “Diego?”

“I’m fine, Taylor, really." He sighed, not at all convincing as he leaned against me again. "You don’t need to worry about me… I-I won't do it...”

“Won't do what?” I frowned, running my hand over his hair reassuringly.

“I—” Diego shivered, his jaw snapping shut with a faint growl.

"Shh...” I murmured, biting my lip guiltily. "I'm sorry, I'll try not to ask too many specific questions, okay?"

“Thanks.”

“Tom's around here somewhere… do you want me to go find him? He's been worried about you—”

“Don't go...” Diego said quickly. "Just… just stay. It's easier to stay calm, to remember…"

"Okay…" I murmured, threading my fingers through his hair soothingly.

Diego sighed, seeming to relax further as time passed quietly. He whispered something, and I had to lean closer to hear. “Sean’s out there...”

“What? Why?” I demanded, looking around the darkness in sudden suspicion.

“To m-make… sure.” He winced, whimpering as he curled into my side. “But I don't want… I don't want to ruin your wedding, Taylor. I-I came here to...” He trailed off.

“I know...” I soothed gently. "I know dude."

Truthfully, I didn't know. I _couldn't_ know. Diego had been through something terrible since he disappeared, it was obvious. If only I could help him figure it out though.

“Thanks, Taylor...” he mumbled, sighing as he closed his eyes and leaned against me.

“Always, dude.” I said. "That's what family is." I added distractedly, trying to figure out if there were some way I could help my best friend with his obvious pain. "Diego… if I guess, would you be able to talk after?" I asked uncertainly. "Like before?"

He thought for a long pause. “I… don't know.” He admitted.

“How about I try… and see if it can help? And if it hurts, you can tell me and I’ll stop.” I suggested. "So, you went to see Ricardo, and things went well?" I started with something easy.

“Yeah.” I felt him smile beside me. "Yeah, they did."

“He was happy for you… and you left.” I said, swallowing heavily. "And then, suddenly Quinn couldn't see you anymore. So, you phased?"

“Yes,” Diego whispered.

"Was that… because you regretted being with Mike?" I asked, already certain of the answer but needing to ask anyway. Mike deserved to know, if he was listening.

“No!" He whimpered, shaking his head quickly, only to hiss and wince. “Never… I wish, I— ah…" he paused to whine quietly. "I-I wish I'd stayed."

“I thought so.” I said quietly, ruffling his hair gently. "So… something _else_ made you phase?" I guessed, pausing as Diego tensed. "... Sean?"

Diego sagged beside me and nodded with relief. 

“But you're back now?” I frowned, trying to understand. "Did you break free? Resist the order to stay away?" I wondered aloud.

Diego whimpered and shook his head minutely, his hand clutching at my arm.

“Okay… so, he _made_ you come back.” I reasoned, as Diego sighed and nodded again. “And… he gave you an order to hurt Mike.” I said. This time, it wasn't a question.

He sighed and then stared over my head longingly. With trembling lips, he studied the shimmering glow of the reception party, the graceful whirl of the dancers, the fluttering petals falling from the garlands; I looked with him. It all seemed very distant from this black, quiet space. Almost like watching the white flurries swirling inside a snow globe.

“I'm sorry I missed my part...” he said, turning his eyes up to me. "I know you postponed… I'm sorry, I really wanted to be here to be your best man, dude." He said, sighing again. "It all looks amazing.”

I smiled. “Quinn is an unstoppable force of nature.”

He smiled weakly and nodded. “Taylor?” His voice was so small, so uncertain, and when he peeked up at me, it was with red rimmed eyes. "Don't let me do it… please."

I tightened my hand around his. “You can fight it, Diego. You're back where you belong… where you _chose_ to be. I believe in you.”

He laughed. “Taylor, you believed in the Easter bunny until you were ten.”

I rolled my eyes. "No disrespecting the groom on his big day." I muttered petulantly.

We were quiet for an extended pause. “You’d think I’d be used to having my future stolen from me by now,” he murmured.

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but I couldn’t force it down. “You’re future is right where you left it dude… right there waiting for you.” I said thickly, choking on my tears.

Diego looked up at me and frowned. He wiped his fingers across my cheek, catching the tears there. “You’re not supposed to be the one crying, Taylor.”

“Everyone cries at weddings,” I said roughly.

“C'mon dude, you've had a beautiful day, right?”

“Mmhm.”

“Then smile."

I tried. He laughed at my watery grimace.

“Diego… isn't there anything we can do?” I pleaded, desperately wishing I could fix things somehow.

“Nobody refuses the Alpha." He sighed. "It's like this… double voice, in your head. Like a padlock; and only he has the key to release it again." He clenched his teeth. He was struggling with something, presumably the order to hurt Mike.

“Well...” I said thickly. "Sean Gayle is going to have a giant smack in his ugly face once I'm all, strong and beautiful. I'll make him let you go."

He smiled. “My hero.”

My friendship with Diego used to be so easy… before Sean Gayle saw fit to start playing God.

“What is it, Diego?” I finally pleaded. “Just tell me, already, please... you can tell me anything, dude! You’re Diego Soto, true chief to the Taino people. Sean Gayle was not meant to lead you, Diego Soto.” I whispered, smiling as he looked up at me with wide, fearful eyes. “You were not born to kneel to him.”

“I-I…” Diego swallowed thickly, shaking his head as he exhaled a long, low breath.

“Shhh.” I soothed. “It’s okay… it’ll all be okay.” I promised. I hoped I wasn’t lying.

Diego sat quietly beside me, leaning on my arm as I looked back at the reception, where my family and friends were dancing still. I hoped they weren’t missing me, looking for the lost star of the show. I wasn’t ready to leave Diego yet.

It was as we waited in the quiet darkness, that Diego began to tremble again, despite my attempts at comfort. “Diego?”

“N-no…” he whimpered, burying his face in his hands as his trembling worsened.

“Diego, what’s wro—”

“Diego.” I scowled at the voice which whispered from the shadows, glaring into the darkness as I stepped between my best friend and where I thought the voice had come from. “You’re supposed to be—”

“ _You_ were most definitely, _not_ invited.” I said firmly, scowling hatefully into the gloom. “Leave now.”

“Diego.” The word was a command, but it only succeeded in making Diego whimper and whine lowly, his hands over his ears as he shook his head and rocked on the floor.

“Leave him _alone._ ” I ordered, narrowing my eyes at the darkness. “This is my goddamn _wedding_ and I will not let you ruin it. Get the hell out of here.”

“Two of mine are in there,” Sean said calmly, stepping out of the shadows to lean negligently against a tree, tipping his head towards the reception party. “That automatically gives me a right to be here… making sure they aren’t harmed by the enemy.”

“Judging by the way you behave, I don’t think it’s the enemy they need to worry about.” I sneered.

“Well, you would say that, wouldn’t you?” He scoffed. “A matter of hours, and you’ll be one of the enemy.”

I flinched.

“It’s not tonight, Sean,” I hissed, shaking my head. “Not that it’s any of your damn business.”

Sean was even more obsessed with my humanity than Jake. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to work out what he was talking about.

“Oh,” he said, trying to smother his relief. “ _Oh_.” He bit his lip, frowning at the floor briefly, before peering over at me. “When?” he demanded.

“I don’t know for sure.” I said, shrugging indifferently. “A week or two, maybe. I haven’t fully decided yet.”

His voice changed, took on a defensive, mocking edge. “What’s the hold up?”

“I just didn’t want to spend my honeymoon writhing in pain.”

“You’d rather spend it how? Playing checkers? Ha.”

“Very funny.”

“C’mon, Taylor... I don’t see the point. Unless,” he eyed me with sudden speculation. “Unless you’ve changed your mind.”

“No.” My reply was instant, undeniable.

“You can’t have a real honeymoon with your vampire, so why go through the motions?” Sean mocked, examining me thoughtfully for a long moment. “This isn’t the first time you’ve put this off. That’s a good thing,” he said, suddenly earnest. “Don’t be embarrassed about it. If you’re reconsidering… well, maybe this wasn’t necessary after—”

“I’m not putting anything off,” I snapped. “And yes I can have a real honeymoon! I can do anything I want! Butt the fuck out!”

He stared at me incredulously. For a moment, I wondered if he’d finally learnt some respect for someone else’s opinions, but then his eyes bulged wide with a strange kind of confused horror.

“What?” he gasped. “What did you say?”

“About what?” I snapped, frowning as I turned behind me, when Diego began to whine again. “Diego..? What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean? Have a real honeymoon? While you’re still human? Are you _kidding?_ That’s a sick joke, Taylor!”

I glared at him. “I said butt the fuck out, Sean, this is fuck all to do with you.” I hissed, before turning my back on him entirely. “I shouldn’t have… we shouldn’t even be talking about this. It’s private—”

I’d turned to comfort Diego, and hadn’t noticed his approach. Sean’s enormous hands gripped the tops of my arms, wrapping all the way around, fingers overlapping as he forcibly turned me to face him and stared at me with wild eyes.

 _“Ow,_ Sean! Let me the fuck go!”

He shook me.

“Taylor!” Diego gasped, his hand on my arm as he shook viciously. 

“Have you lost your goddamn mind?” Sean yelled in my face. “You can’t be that stupid! Tell me you’re joking!”

He shook me again. His hands, tight as tourniquets, were quivering, sending vibrations deep into my bones.

“Sean!” Diego yelled. _“Stop!”_

The darkness was suddenly very crowded.

“Get ya goddamn hands offa him!” Jake’s voice was cold as ice, sharp as razors.

Behind him, there was a low snarl from the a man on his right, and then another, overlapping the first from the boy on his left.

“Sean, back away,” I heard Miles Nguyen urge. “You’re losing it.”

Sean seemed frozen as he was, his horrified eyes wide and staring.

“You’ll hurt him,” Miles whispered. “Let him go—”

“He don’t care ‘bout bloody hurtin’ him!” Jake snarled, glancing to Diego on the floor. “He sent Diego to bloody kill him!”

I gasped, trying to turn and see Diego while still trying to wrestle myself free of Sean’s hold.

Diego’s hands dropped to the ground before him, his fingernails digging into the ground as he tried to prevent the restless quiver which ran across his skin. “Diego…” I murmured, trying to squirm away from Sean and help my best friend. 

“Let him _go,_ Sean!” Tom hissed, narrowing his eyes as he looked between the three of us. “This is _not_ what the pack stands for. Jesus, what the hell are you thinking? All out murdering a human? Using Diego to do it?” He choked, shaking his head in disbelief as he looked at Diego quivering on the floor. “My God… what the hell have you done to him?”

“I taught him his goddamn place!” Sean snarled, shoving me back a step, and the sudden gush of blood through my waiting veins as he released me was almost painful.

Before I could register more than that, cold hands replaced the hot ones, and the air was suddenly whooshing past me.

I blinked, and I was on my feet a half dozen feet away from where I’d been standing. Jake was tensed in front of me. There were two enormous bodies braced before him; and Sean and Diego.

“No, Jake…” I whimpered, trying to reach past him to Diego. “Diego—”

“He can’t hear ya right now, Taylor…” Jake whispered. “He’s fightin’, with everythin’ he’s got.”

And Miles; gangly, fifteen-year-old Miles, had his long arms around Sean’s shaking body, and he was tugging him away. If Sean phased with Miles so close…

“C’mon, Sean, man... Let’s go.”

“I’ll kill you,” Sean said, his voice so choked with rage that it was low as a whisper. His eyes, focused on Jake, burned with fury. “I’ll kill you myself! I’ll do it now!” He shuddered convulsively.

“Miles, get outta the goddamn way,” Jake hissed.

Miles tugged on Sean again. Sean was so bewildered with rage that Miles was able to yank him a few feet farther back. “Don’t do it, Sean, bro. Walk away. C’mon.”

At that moment, there was a ripping sound; and Diego exploded behind them. I stared in abject horror, as the enormous black wolf panted heavily, his huge paws almost silent on the ground as he stepped slowly closer to Sean. He growled lowly, his dark eyes glazed by something which stole their warmth, their light and everything which made him _Diego_.

Sean frowned, narrowing his eyes as he watched Diego stalk closer to us.

“Pinky…” Jake murmured, sinking lower into a crouch. “Ya _don’t_ wanna do this…” he pleaded.

“Diego—” I called, reaching for him, as if I thought I could help.

“Sean, stop this…” Tom said, shaking his head as he stepped between Diego and Jake. “Please—”

“Get out of the way, Tom.” Sean said dismissively.

“I won’t.” Tom said, shaking his head. He turned his head toward Diego, drawing in a deep breath as he threw off his jacket and whipped his shirt over his head. “I want to know what the hell you did to my brother!” He growled, and a split second later, he exploded into a ball of chocolate brown fur; blocking Diego’s path.

Jake drew in a sharp breath, as Sean snarled and shook his head, throwing Miles aside as he reeled back on his heels and exploded out of his own skin. 

The three wolves stood before us, growling quietly. And then two began to sink to the ground slowly. Even if I didn’t already know who was who, it would be easy to guess which was Sean. The black wolf prowled closer, standing over them and baring his teeth at them.

“No,” I hissed. “No… leave him alone!” I yelled, crying as I tried to shove past Jake and get to Diego. “Stop it! Stop hurting him! Stop… _just stop being such a fucking asshole! You cheap imitation, **fake** ass Alpha _!”

Sean snarled, his head whipping toward me as I glared at him. “You want me asshole, I’m right fucking here! You come and get me…” I sneered, ignoring Jake’s attempts to shut me up. “But you stop trying to make others do your goddamn dirty work, you poor excuse of a fucking—”

“Aw shit,” Jake flinched, half turning to look behind us and distracting me from my ranting. I turned automatically, my eyes finding Mike at the edge of the clearing, his eyes locked onto the display before us. “Get the hell outta here—” Jake tried to warn, before low snarls began to erupt from the two black wolves.

“Ya want me, ya ugly mutt?” Mike sneered. He didn’t move, save for to spread his arms invitingly. “Ya c’mon an’ get me.”

Sean crouched low on his haunches, a manic gleam in his eyes. “ _Oh…_ ” Jake gasped, curling his arms around me and moving me aside abruptly, as Sean launched himself toward Mike.

I gasped, about to scream a denial; but the sound lodged in my throat, when the biggest wolf, the second black one, growled sharply and collided with Sean's side.

Sean hit a tree at the far edge of the clearing, quickly scrambling back to his feet with his hackles raised, his head bared low in a growl.

The larger black wolf stood before Mike, a low but vicious snarl ripping from his throat as he glared right back at Sean. Sean moved to take a step closer, and Diego snapped for him; before standing to his full imposing height and growling fiercely.

“Jake… what’s going on?” I demanded in a whisper, my fingers clutching at his arm as I watched the deadly standoff fearfully.

“Diego accepted his birthright.” Jake murmured back, glancing at Mike as he stood blankly behind Diego.

“What does that—” I paused, staring at Diego, at his rigid posture and the way Sean cowered uncertainly by the trees. “Oh…” I sighed, realisation washing through me. “He’s an Alpha.” I breathed, just as Sean growled and then darted away into the darkness of the forest.

Diego hesitated only a second, glancing briefly behind him with a faint whine, before hurrying away himself, chasing after the other wolf.

Tom whined, turning back toward us and hanging his head.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered to the wolf.

“‘S alright now, Taylor,” Jake murmured.

Tom looked at Jake, who nodded in reply to some unspoken conversation. The wolf huffed and then turned to follow the others, vanishing as they had.

“Alright,” Jake said to himself, and then he looked at me. “Let’s get back.”

“But—”

“Sean’s gone… Diego’s just gonna make sure he stays gone. He’s… gonna protect new land.” Jake said, his eyes flicking to Mike, as he stared into the forest after the wolves. For all I knew he could still see them.

“Mike, I’m so sorry—”

“Ya ain’t got nothin’ to be sorry for, Kid.” Mike said evenly, but his smile was devoid of the warmth and laughter it usually was. “We know he’s safe… ‘s all that matters.” He said, casting another look at the trees, before turning and heading back to the reception party, his movements just slightly too stiff to be normal.

“Oh, shit... Jake, what just happened?” I demanded.

“Gayle’s been… toyin’ with Diego, whole time he’s been gone. He’s been the only voice Diego’s been able to hear in his head.” Jake explained. “He’s had to rely on his feedback on what was goin’ on…” he sighed. “‘Course, Pinky couldn’t tell _me_ everythin’, Gayle made sure of that… but once Manbun phased, it all came floodin’ out.” He shivered. “Pinky’s pretty messed up ‘bout it all, an’ he feels guilty as hell, ‘specially ‘bout Mike.” He said, sighing. “After Gayle lost it with ya, an’ then went to fly at Mike; well, he remembered what _you_ said. ‘Bout not bein’ born to kneel… he accepted what he is.”

“You mean—” 

“He might not ever be able to quit bein’ a wolf.” Jake said quietly. 

“So… he and Mike…”

“Hey, don’t go worryin’ yaself.” Jake said, though his expression was far from calm himself. “Ain’t nothin’ ya can do… ‘s down to ‘em to sort out what they’re gonna do next.”

I panicked blindly for a few seconds, kicking myself for opening my stupid mouth and letting Sean goad me. “I have such a big mouth!” I said scathingly, scowling at the forest behind us. “Why would I… I shouldn’t have let him get to me like that... what was I _thinking_?”

“Don’t worry.” He said gently, as he touched my face. “We gotta get back to reception ‘fore folk start noticin’ we’re missin’.”

I shook my head, trying to reorient myself. How the hell had anyone not realised by now?

Then, as I thought about it, I realised the confrontation that had seemed so catastrophic to me had, in reality, been very quiet and short here in the shadows.

“Give me two seconds,” I pleaded.

My insides were chaotic with panic and grief, but that didn’t matter; only the outside mattered right now. Putting on a good show was something I knew I had to master.

“My suit?”

“Ya look fine. Not a hair outta place.”

I took two deep breaths. “Okay. Let’s go.”

He put his arms around me and led me back to the light. When we passed under the twinkle lights, he spun me gently onto the dance floor. We melted in with the other dancers as if our dance had never been interrupted.

I glanced around at the guests, but no one seemed shocked or frightened. Only the very palest faces there showed any signs of stress, and they hid it well. Kele, Aleister and Craig were on the edge of the floor, close together, and I guessed that they had been nearby during the confrontation.

“Are ya—”

“I’m fine,” I promised. “I can’t believe I did that. What’s wrong with me?” I scolded myself. “Why the hell couldn’t I keep my damn mouth shut? Oh… Diego—”

“Nothin’s wrong with ya, Taylor.” Jake tried to soothe me. “It might’ve happened regardless… Gayle goin’ for Mike was ‘s much a factor as…” he sighed. “It ain’t ya fault, Boy Scout. Don’t blame yaself… an’ look at it this way; least Pinky’s gotta chance to find himself ‘gain now.”

I ignored Jake’s attempts at comfort, it was his husbandly duty at this point; he was too biased. I’d been so glad to see Diego here… and then I’d opened my big mouth and ruined it. Whether Diego blamed Sean or not, I was the one who put the stupid idea in his head… and now he was _still_ separated from Mike.

I sighed, deciding that my idiocy would not ruin anything else tonight. I would put this away, shove it in a drawer and lock it up to deal with later. There would be plenty of time to flagellate myself for ruining my best friends relationship later, and nothing I could do now would help.

“It’s over,” I said. “Let’s not think of it again tonight.”

I expected a quick agreement from Jake, but he was silent.

“Jake?”

He closed his eyes and touched his forehead to mine. “Gayle’s right,” he whispered. “What the hell _am_ I thinkin’?”

“Sean Gayle is not right about _anything_ .” I tried to keep my face smooth for the watching crowd of friends. “That… _animal_ is way too prejudiced to see anything clearly.”

Jake mumbled something low that sounded almost like, “should let him kill me for even thinkin'...”

“Stop it,” I said fiercely. I grabbed his face in my hands and waited until he opened his eyes. “ _You_ and _me_ . That’s the _only_ thing that matters. The _only_ thing you’re allowed to think about now. Do you hear me?”

“Yeah,” he sighed.

“Forget Sean ever came.” I could do that. I would do that. I would even push aside my guilt over what I’d done to Diego aside, until we were home and I was immortal… and ready to tear Sean Gayle to pieces. “For me. Promise that you’ll let this go.”

He stared into my eyes for a moment before answering. “I promise.”

“Thank you. Jake, I’m not afraid.”

 _“I_ am,” he whispered.

“Don’t be.” I took deep breath and smiled. “By the way… I love you.”

He smiled just a little in return. “‘S why we’re here.”

“You’re monopolising him,” Craig said, coming up behind Jake’s shoulder. “Let me dance with my little brother. This could be my last chance to make him blush.” He laughed loudly, as unaffected as he usually was by any serious atmosphere.

It turned out there were actually lots of people I hadn’t danced with yet, and that gave me a chance to truly compose and resolve myself. When Jake claimed me again, I found that the guilt-drawer was shut nice and tight. As he wrapped his arms around me, I was able to unearth my earlier sense of joy, my certainty that everything in my life was in the right place tonight. I smiled and laid my head against his chest. His arms tightened.

“I could get used to this,” I said.

“Don’t tell me ya gotten over ya attention issues?”

“Attention isn’t so bad, so long as I’m with you. But I was thinking more of this,” and I pressed myself to him even tighter, “of never having to let you go.”

“Never,” he promised, and he leaned down to kiss me.

It was a serious kind of kiss; intense, slow but building… I’d forgotten where I was and what was going on around us, when I heard Quinn call, “Taylor! It’s time!” I felt a brief flicker of irritation with my new sister for the interruption.

Jake ignored her entirely; his lips were hard against mine, more urgent than before. My heart broke into a sprint and my palms were slick against his marble neck.

“Do you want to miss your plane?” Quinn demanded, right next to me now. “I’m sure you’ll have a lovely honeymoon camped out in the airport waiting for another flight.”

Jake turned his face slightly to murmur, “Get outta here, Quinn… I’ll fly,” and then pressed his lips to mine again.

“Taylor, do you want to wear that suit on the aeroplane?” she demanded.

I wasn’t really paying much attention. At the moment, I really didn’t care if I wore a potato sack.

Quinn growled quietly. “I’ll tell him where you’re taking him, Jake. So help me, I will.”

He froze. Then he lifted his face from mine and glared at his favourite sister.

“Ya awful small to be so bloody irritatin’.”

“I didn’t pick out the perfect going-away clothes to have them wasted,” she snapped back, taking my hand. “Come with me, Taylor.”

I tugged against her hold, stretching up on my toes to kiss him one more time.

She jerked my arm impatiently, hauling me away from him. There were a few chuckles from the watching guests. I gave up then, and let her lead me into the empty house. She looked annoyed.

“Sorry, Quinn,” I apologized.

“I don’t blame you, Taylor.” She sighed. “ _You_ don’t seem to be able help yourself.” I giggled at her martyred expression, and she scowled.

“Thank you, Quinn. It was the most beautiful wedding anyone ever had,” I told her earnestly. “Everything was exactly right. You’re the best, smartest, most talented sister in the whole world.”

That thawed her out; she smiled a huge smile. “I’m glad you liked it.” Julia and Grace were waiting upstairs. The three of them quickly had me out of my suit and into Quinn’s deep blue going-away ensemble. My mother’s tears streamed without a break the entire time.

“I’ll call you when I know where I’m going,” I promised as I hugged her goodbye. I knew the honeymoon secret was probably driving her crazy; my mother hated secrets, unless she was in on them.

“I’ll tell you as soon as he’s safely away,” Quinn outdid me, smirking at my wounded expression. How unfair, for me to be the last to know.

“You have to visit me and Jim very, very soon. It’s your turn to go south, see the sun for once,” Julia said.

“It didn’t rain today,” I reminded her, avoiding her request.

“A miracle.”

“Everything’s ready,” Quinn said. “Your suitcases are in the car, Kele’s bringing it around.” She pulled me back toward the stairs with Julia following, still halfway embracing me.

“I love you, Mom,” I whispered as we descended. “I’m so glad you have Jim. Take care of each other.”

“I love you, too, Taylor, baby.”

“Goodbye, Mom. I love you,” I said again, my throat thick.

Jake was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. I took his outstretched hand but leaned away, scanning the little crowd that was waiting to see us off.

“Dad?” I asked, my eyes searching.

“Over here,” Jake murmured. He pulled me through the guests; they made a pathway for us. We found Scott leaning awkwardly against the wall behind everyone else, looking a little like he was hiding. The red rims around his eyes explained why. Jordan and Michael were just beside him.

“Oh, Dad!”

I hugged him around the waist, tears streaming again; I was crying so much tonight. He patted my back.

“There, now. You don’t want to miss your plane.”

It was hard to talk about love with Scott, we were so much alike, always reverting to trivial things to avoid embarrassing emotional displays. But this was no time for being self-conscious.

“I love you forever, Daddy...” I told him. “Don’t forget that.”

“You, too, Tay-Bear. Always have, always will.”

I kissed his cheek at the same time that he kissed mine.

Jordan pulled me into a rough hug right afterwards. “See you soon, jerk.” He said, his voice thick with emotion he didn’t want to show in public. “Heh, can’t believe you're still using _Daddy-_ ”

“Shut up.” I grumbled, shoving him playfully into Michael. “Take care of the idiot for me.” I said, as Michael laughed and nodded solemnly. 

“I promise.” He said, as we shared a brief hug.

“Call me,” Jordan said, pouting as Michael folded his arms around him.

“Soon,” I promised, knowing this was all I could promise. Just a phone call. My father, my mother and my brother; could not be allowed to see me again; I would be too different, and much, much too dangerous.

“Go on, then,” Scott said gruffly. “Don’t want to be late.”

The guests made another aisle for us. Jake pulled me close to his side as we made our escape.

“Ya ready?” he asked.

“I am,” I said, and I knew that it was true.

Everyone applauded when Jake kissed me on the doorstep. Then he rushed me to the car as the rice storm began. Most of it went wide, but someone, probably Craig or Zahra, threw with uncanny precision, and I caught a lot of the ricochets off Jake’s back.

The car was decorated with more flowers that trailed in streamers along its length, and long gossamer ribbons that were tied to a dozen shoes, designer shoes that looked brand-new, dangling behind the bumper.

Jake shielded me from the rice while I climbed in, and then he was in and we were speeding away as I waved out the window and called “I love you” to the porch, where my families waved back.

The last image I registered was one of my parents. Jim had both arms wrapped tenderly around Julia. She had one arm tight around his waist but had her free hand reached out to hold Scott’s, who had his other arm around Jordan’s shoulders, while he hung onto Michael’s waist. So many different kinds of love, harmonious in this one moment. It seemed a very hopeful picture to me.

Jake squeezed my hand. “I love ya,” he said.

I leaned my head against his arm. “That’s why we’re here,” I quoted him.

He kissed my hair.

As we turned onto the black highway and Jake really hit the accelerator, I heard a noise over the purr of the engine, coming from the forest behind us. If I could hear it, then he certainly could. But he said nothing as the sound slowly faded in the distance. 

I said nothing, either.

The piercing, heartbroken howl grew fainter slowly and then disappeared entirely.


	5. La Huerta

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, whoops - running late 😅  
> Hope you enjoy this chapter!  
> I also hope that wherever you are; you are safe and were able to get things you need! Hopefully the world won't be crazy forever - hang in there! ❤
> 
> x Our love to you all x

**La Huerta**

“Houston?” I asked, raising my eyebrows when we reached the gate in Seattle.

“Just a stop ‘long the way,” Jake assured me with a grin.

It felt like I’d barely fallen asleep when he woke me. I was groggy as he pulled me through the terminals, struggling to remember how to open my eyes after every blink. It took me a few minutes to catch up with what was going on when we stopped at the international counter to check in for our next flight.

“Santo Domingo?” I asked with slightly more trepidation.

“‘Nother stop,” he told me.

The flight to South America and then to the Caribbean was long but comfortable in the wide first-class seat, with Jake’s arms cradled around me. I slept myself out and awoke unusually alert as we circled toward the airport with the light of the setting sun slanting through the plane’s windows.

We didn’t stay in the airport to connect with another flight as I’d expected. Instead we took a taxi through the dark, teeming, living streets of Santo Domingo. Unable to understand a word of Jake’s whatever they were, show off language instructions to the driver, I guessed that we were off to find a hotel before the next leg of our journey. A sharp twinge of something very close to stage fright twisted in the pit of my stomach as I considered that. The taxi continued through the swarming crowds until they thinned somewhat, and we appeared to be nearing the extreme western edge of the city, heading into the ocean.

We stopped at the docks.

Jake led the way down the long line of white yachts moored in the night-blackened water. The boat he stopped at was smaller than the others, sleeker, obviously built for speed instead of space. Still luxurious, though, and more graceful than the rest. He leaped in lightly, despite the heavy bags he carried. He dropped those on the deck and turned to help me carefully over the edge.

I watched in silence while he prepared the boat for departure, surprised at how skilled and comfortable he seemed, because he’d never mentioned an interest in boating before. But then again, he was good at just about everything. He caught me watching and grinned at me. “My uncle had a ‘lil schooner growin’ up.” He shrugged dismissively.

As we headed south west into the open ocean, I reviewed basic geography in my head. As far as I could remember, there wasn’t much west of Dominican Republic… but then, I had nearly failed geography without Jake's uh, _help_.

But Jake sped forward while the lights of Santo Domingo faded and ultimately disappeared behind us. On his face was a familiar exhilarated smile, the one produced by any form of speed. The boat plunged through the waves and I was showered with sea spray.

Finally the curiosity I’d suppressed so long got the best of me.

“Are we going much farther?” I asked.

It wasn’t like him to forget that I was human, but I wondered if he planned for us to live on this small craft for any length of time.

“‘Bout ‘nother half hour.” His eyes took in my hands, clenched on the seat, and he grinned.

Oh well, I thought to myself. He was a vampire, after all. Maybe we were going to Atlantis.

Twenty minutes later, he called my name over the roar of the engine.

“Taylor, look there.” He pointed straight ahead.

I saw only blackness at first, and the moon’s white trail across the water. But I searched the space where he pointed until I found a low black shape breaking into the sheen of moonlight on the waves. As I squinted into the darkness, the silhouette became more detailed. The shape grew into a squat, irregular triangle, with one side trailing longer than the other before sinking into the waves. We drew closer, and I could see the outline was feathery, swaying to the light breeze.

And then my eyes refocused and the pieces all made sense: a small island rose out of the water ahead of us, waving with palm fronds, a beach glowing pale in the light of the moon with a huge volcano as its background.

“Where are we?” I murmured in wonder while he shifted course, heading around to the north end of the island.

He heard me, despite the noise of the engine, and smiled a wide smile that gleamed in the moonlight.

“This is La Huerta.”

The boat slowed dramatically, drawing with precision into position against a short dock constructed of wooden planks, bleached into whiteness by the moon.

The engine cut off, and the silence that followed was profound. There was nothing but the waves, slapping lightly against the boat, and the rustle of the breeze in the palms. The air was warm, moist, and fragrant; like the steam left behind after a hot shower.

“La Huerta?” My voice was low, but it still sounded too loud as it broke into the quiet night.

“A gift from Mike... he bought it a couple centuries back, but he thought we might enjoy it more’n he ever has.”

A gift. Who gives a bloody _island_ as a gift? I frowned. I hadn’t realized that Jake’s extreme generosity was a learned behavior. I was briefly tickled by the idea of Diego being given extravagant gifts, like islands, but then I remembered the state of Mike and Diego’s now strained relationship; and my amusement faded.

He placed the suitcases on the dock and then turned back, smiling his perfect smile as he reached for me. Instead of taking my hand, he pulled me right up into his arms.

“Aren’t you supposed to wait for the threshold?” I asked, breathless, as he sprung lightly out of the boat.

He grinned. “I’m nothin' if I ain't thorough.”

Gripping the handles of both huge steamer trunks in one hand and cradling me in the other arm, he carried me up the dock and onto a pale sand pathway through the dark vegetation.

For a short while it was pitch black in the jungle-like growth, and then I could see a warm light ahead. It was about at the point when I realized the light was a house, the two bright, perfect squares were wide windows framing a front door; that the stage fright attacked again, more forcefully than before, worse than when I’d thought we were headed for a hotel.

My heart thudded audibly against my ribs, and my breath seemed to get stuck in my throat. I felt Jake’s eyes on my face, but I refused to meet his gaze. I stared straight ahead, seeing nothing.

He didn’t ask what I was thinking, which was out of character for him. I guessed that meant that he was just as nervous as I suddenly was.

He set the suitcases on the deep porch to open the doors, they were unlocked. Jake looked down at me, waiting until I met his gaze before he stepped through the threshold.

He carried me through the house, both of us very quiet, flipping on lights as he went. My vague impression of the house was that it was quite large for a tiny island, and oddly familiar. I’d gotten used to the pale-on-pale color scheme preferred by the Darwins; it felt like home. I couldn’t focus on any specifics, though. The violent pulse beating behind my ears made everything a little blurry.

Then Jake stopped and turned on the last light.

The room was big and white, and the far wall was mostly glass, standard décor for my vampires. Outside, the moon was bright on white sand and, just a few yards away from the house, glistening waves. But I barely noted that part. I was more focused on the absolutely huge white bed in the center of the room, hung with billowy clouds of mosquito netting.

Jake set me gently on my feet.

“I’ll… go get the luggage.”

The room was too warm, stuffier than the tropical night outside. A bead of sweat dewed up on the nape of my neck. I walked slowly forward until I could reach out and touch the foamy netting. For some reason I felt the need to make sure everything was real.

I didn’t hear Jake return. Suddenly, his wintry finger caressed the back of my neck, wiping away the drop of perspiration.

“'S a 'lil hot here,” he said apologetically. “I thought… that'd be best.”

“Thorough,” I murmured under my breath, and he chuckled. It was a nervous sound, rare for Jake.

“I tried to think of everythin' that'd make this… easier,” he admitted.

I swallowed loudly, still facing away from him. Had there ever been a honeymoon like this before?

I knew the answer to that. No. There had not.

“I was wonderin',” Jake said slowly, “if… first… maybe ya’d wanna take a midnight swim with me?” He took a deep breath, and his voice was more at ease when he spoke again. “The water'll be real warm. 'S the kind of beach ya Ma'd approve of.”

“Sounds nice.” My voice broke.

“I’m sure ya wanna human minute or two… 's a long journey.”

I nodded woodenly. I felt barely human; maybe a few minutes alone would help.

His lips brushed against my throat, just below my ear. He chuckled once and his cool breath tickled my overheated skin. “Don’t take too long, Mr. McKenzie.”

I jumped a little at the sound of my new name.

His lips brushed down my neck to the tip of my shoulder. “I’ll wait for ya in the water.”

He walked past me to the French door that opened right onto the beach sand. On the way, he shrugged out of his jacket and tugged his t-shirt over his head, dropping them on the floor, and then slipped through the door into the moonlit night. The sultry, salty air swirled into the room behind him.

Did my skin burst into flames? I had to look down to check. Nope, nothing was burning. At least, not visibly.

I reminded myself to breathe, and then I stumbled toward the giant suitcase that Jake had opened on top of a low white dresser. It must be mine, because my familiar bag of toiletries was right on top, and there was a lot of green, black and red in there, but I didn’t recognize even one article of clothing. As I pawed through the neatly folded piles, looking for something familiar and comfortable, a pair of old jeans maybe, it came to my attention that there was an awful lot of sheer lace and skimpy satin in my hands. 

Lingerie. Very lingerie-ish lingerie, with French tags. I was thankful it was at least _male_ lingerie, because otherwise I would be very concerned about her future plans for me.

I didn’t know how or when, but someday, Quinn was going to pay for this. 

Giving up, I went to the bathroom and peeked out through the long windows that opened to the same beach as the French doors. I couldn’t see him; I guessed he was there in the water, not bothering to come up for air. In the sky above, the moon was lopsided, almost full, and the sand was bright white under its shine. A small movement caught my eye, draped over a bend in one of the palm trees that fringed the beach, the rest of his clothes were swaying in the light breeze.

A rush of heat flashed across my skin again. My heart thudded far too loud in my chest.

I took a couple of deep breaths and then went to the mirrors above the long stretch of counters. I looked exactly like I’d been sleeping on a plane all day. I found my brush and yanked it harshly through the short but snarled up strands. I brushed my teeth meticulously, twice. Then I washed my face and splashed water on the back of my neck, which was feeling feverish. That felt so good that I washed my arms as well, and finally I decided to just give up and take a shower. I knew it was ridiculous to shower before swimming, but I needed to calm down, and hot water was one reliable way to do that.

When I was done, I grabbed a huge white towel off the counter and wrapped it around my waist.

Then I was faced with a dilemma I hadn’t considered. What was I supposed to put on? Not swim shorts, obviously. But it seemed silly to put my clothes back on, too. I didn’t even want to think about the things Quinn had packed for me.

My breathing started to accelerate again and my hands trembled, so much for the calming effects of the shower. I started to feel a little dizzy, apparently a full scale panic attack on the way. I sat down on the cool tile floor in my big towel and put my head between my knees. I prayed he wouldn’t decide to come look for me before I could pull myself together. I could imagine what he would think if he saw me going to pieces this way. It wouldn’t be hard for him to convince himself that we were making a mistake.

And I wasn’t freaking out because I thought we were making a mistake. Not at all. I was freaking out because I had no idea how to do this, and I was afraid to walk out of this room and face the unknown. Especially in French fucking lingerie. I knew I wasn’t ready for _that_ yet.

This felt exactly like having to walk out in front of a theater full of thousands with no idea what my lines were.

How did people do this; swallow all their fears and trust someone else so implicitly with every imperfection and fear they had, with less than the absolute commitment Jake had given me? If it weren’t Jake out there, if I didn’t know in every cell of my body that he loved me as much as I loved him; unconditionally and irrevocably and, to be honest, irrationally, I’d never be able to get up off this floor.

I didn't know how the hell Jordan had managed to throw himself at so many people, before he settled down with Michael.

But it was Jake out there, so I whispered the words “Don’t be a coward” under my breath and scrambled to my feet. I hitched the towel tighter around my waist and marched determinedly from the bathroom. Past the suitcase full of lace and the big bed without looking at either. Out the open glass door onto the powder-fine sand.

Everything was black-and-white, bleached colorless by the moon. I walked slowly across the warm powder, pausing beside the curved tree where he had left his clothes. I laid my hand against the rough bark and checked my breathing to make sure it was even. Or even enough.

I looked across the low ripples, black in the darkness, searching for him.

He wasn’t hard to find. He stood, his back to me, waist deep in the midnight water, staring up at the oval moon. The pallid light of the moon turned his skin a perfect white, like the sand, like the moon itself, and made his shaggy wet hair black as the ocean. He was motionless, his hands resting palms down against the water; the low waves broke around him as if he were a stone. I stared at the smooth lines of his back, his shoulders, his arms, his neck; at the flawless shape of _him_ …

The fire was no longer a flash burn across my skin, it was slow and deep now; it smoldered away all my awkwardness, my shy uncertainty. I slipped the towel off without hesitation, leaving it on the tree with his clothes, and walked out into the white light; it made me pale as the snowy sand, too.

I couldn’t hear the sound of my footsteps as I walked to the water’s edge, but I guessed that he could. Jake did not turn. I let the gentle swells break over my toes, and found that he’d been right about the temperature… it was very warm, like bath water. I stepped in, walking carefully across the invisible ocean floor, but my care was unnecessary; the sand continued perfectly smooth, sloping gently toward Jake. I waded through the weightless current till I was at his side, and then I placed my hand lightly over his cool hand lying on the water.

“Beautiful,” I said, looking up at the moon, too.

“'S alright,” he answered, unimpressed. He turned slowly to face me; little waves rolled away from his movement and broke against my skin. His eyes looked silver in his ice-colored face. He twisted his hand up so that he could twine our fingers beneath the surface of the water. It was warm enough that his cool skin did not raise goose bumps on mine.

“But I can't use the word beautiful,” he continued. “Not with _you..._ standin' here in comparison.”

I half-smiled, then raised my free hand, it didn’t tremble now; and placed it over his heart. White on white; we matched, for once. He shuddered the tiniest bit at my warm touch. His breath came rougher now.

“I promised we'd try,” he whispered, suddenly tense. “If… if I do somethin' wrong, if I hurt ya, ya _gotta_ tell me. Right away.”

I nodded solemnly, keeping my eyes on his. I took another step through the waves and tilted my head up to kiss the hollow of his throat.

“Don’t be afraid,” I whispered against his cool skin. “We belong together.”

I was abruptly overwhelmed by the truth of my own words. This moment was so perfect, so right, there was no way to doubt it.

His arms wrapped around me, holding me against him, summer and winter. It felt like every nerve ending in my body was a live wire.

“Forever,” he agreed, and then pulled us gently into deeper water. He glided effortlessly with me, drifting aimlessly through the water. Just together.

I blushed against him the whole time, thrilled by the soft touches of his hands as they caressed my sides, my back and my shoulders. I could feel him against me in the water, all the hard lines; and one particular hard organ, which I happened to have an invested interest in right now.

The water rippled as I curled my arm up around his neck, lifting my face to meet his lips softly with my own. He was hesitant, cautious; but willing for the moment.

He drifted to a halt in the water, my toes grazing the sand of the ocean floor, before his hands moved slowly over my sides to my bare thighs. My heart spluttered ridiculously.

He lifted me quickly, my legs folding around his slim hips naturally, locking me against him as his hands slid uncertainly to my ass. A faint sound escaped him, but protest or pleasure; I couldn't tell.

A rushing thrill travelled up my spine, as he pulled me close to him; our bodies coming together in ways which were entirely new. Gone were the boundaries, the clothes and the safety net. My hands caged his face, fingers curled in his damp, shaggy hair; holding him to me as I kissed him hungrily.

The nervous flutters in my stomach were like dancing wings as I felt my arousal make itself known, my dick swelling and pressing to his hard groin as his own jut against the back of my thigh. 

"Taylor-" he breathed, and then suddenly, the water was gone. My back lay against softness and his hard body was above me, my ankles still locked behind his waist as he kissed me deeply, the sheets tangling around us as we moved against each other with a tentative rhythm.

His hand drifted to my ass again, his fingers cool but still warmer than I'd ever felt them, though that was perhaps as much to do with my burning skin. 

I started at the cool gel which coated his fingers though, blushing furiously as I whimpered softly. "Jake..." I whispered against his lips, rolling my hips up towards him encouragingly.

He hesitated, his kiss pausing and his brow furrowing as he hovered over me, his fingers pressing hesitantly into me.

I'd researched just enough in my free time to know there was supposed to be pain, and I was sure that tomorrow I would ache like a bitch; but as his cool fingered entered me, I felt nothing but a glorious sense of euphoria and completion. Perhaps a small sense of smugness too, that I was finally getting what I wanted so badly. 

Jake.

“Please,” I murmured against his cheek, kissing his cool skin gently as I curled my hand behind his neck to pull him closer. “Jake, please… I need you.” I whispered, my face burning with embarrassment; despite the truth of the statement.

Jake groaned, his forehead dropping to my shoulder as he continued to massage my entrance with his fingers, smearing me with more cool gel; lubricant, my very slow mind eventually realised. I arched against him as his fingers explored me, far more cautiously than I would have liked, but I was hardly about to complain.

It was strange, no doubt about that, but knowing that it was Jake; that a part of him was inside me, was a bigger high than being drunk or stoned. I felt utterly blissful, my breath catching as he inserted a second finger and carefully tried to prepare me.

He really should have known better than to try and make it take so long.

“Jake, please, _please-_ ” I was near incoherent, squirming beneath him as I lifted my leg higher around his waist, trying to tempt him closer to me. My dick was throbbing between our bodies, my hand drifting down and touching myself every so often when things got too close; when his fingers dragged over my prostate for instance, and almost ended our attempt early. “ _Jake!_ ” I finally whined, my lips finding his as I rocked my hips up against him.

All at once his arms were around me, holding me close and caging my body against his. “Taylor…” his voice was rough, low, thick with a need that almost matched my own.

“Yes,” I breathed in reply, squirming impatiently as he kissed me urgently, desperately; as if he was afraid it might be the last chance he got. I knew him better than that. “Jake, please…” I pleaded, moaning softly as he pressed his forehead to mine and rolled his hips to mine.

My breath caught as he hesitated, swallowing thickly as he pulled back barely enough to glance down at where our bodies aligned. I followed his gaze, my heart leaping into my throat as I watched him stroke himself once, coating himself in more lubricant; before guiding his cock to my body.

I held my breath.

Every fear he'd had about hurting me seemed far away and silly to me as he carefully eased into me; this was the best I'd ever felt in my life. 

I watched his cock disappear slowly, my breath exhaling in a rapid gust as I finally looked up to find him watching me intently. 

I felt a warmth light in my belly, a fire that glowed and burned steadily within me.

“Jake…” I whispered, near inarticulate as I slid my hand up his arm to the back of his neck and urged him closer. “Please, more-”

His lips claimed mine before I could finish my plea, his body moving cautiously within me. I didn’t feel the cold of his hard skin, I only felt the perfection of our union. Whole, as I never had before.

I gasped and moaned as he rocked against me carefully, straining to connect as much of my body to his as I could. His hand slid along my hip, a deep rumble in his chest as I tried to move my hips against him.

His lips left mine as his growl deepened, his stubble tickling my throat as he pressed cool kisses to my burning skin. His hands slid over my ass and then up my side, gripping my shoulder briefly, before moving on again. Restless, urgent, afraid.

“Jake..!” I pleaded, gripping his shoulders to pull him closer and leaning up to bite his hard skin. I didn’t expect it would really affect him that much, but it was the only way at the time for me to indicate my need. As such, I wasn’t prepared for his reaction.

“Aw, _fuck-_ ” Jake’s hesitation all but melted, his body moving powerfully as he moaned and kissed my throat with quick, rough swipes of his lips.

“Ah, yes!” I gasped, urging him on by biting his shoulder again, curling my arm around his neck to hold him against me as he thrust with a steady, powerful rhythm which I tried to meet with movements of my own. “Jake-” I breathed against him, kissing the hollow of his throat and revelling in the sensations which ripped through my body.

The warm glow in my belly raged on, not growing to an inferno; but a contently smoldering flame, urging me on.

I moaned as his hips snapped forward with more force than I suspected he’d intended, his hands seeming to be everywhere at once as my lips trailed across his jaw; barely aware of the urgent murmurs I made, pleading for more, for him to hold me tighter, to love me harder.

My body sang with pleasure, my heart light; racing at Jake's sounds of pleasure and the mumbled cries of my name. I gasped and cried out when he palmed tentatively at my own cock, his fingers curling around me uncertainly as he stroked me in time with his increasing thrusts. 

"Jake..!" I choked, heat swirling in my gut as I was rapidly brought to a completion which I wasn't ready for. I wrapped myself tightly around him, a constant litany of pleas escaping my lips in an indecipherable babble; as Jake drove me to an intense peak.

The glow in my belly lit, like a match tossed into feathery down and kindling.

I heard Jake rumble a deep throated moan, his face buried in the side of my throat as his dick pulsed within my ass.

" _Oh-_ " I breathed, clutching him against me in every way as my body erupted with waves of euphoria that left me gasping. 

My cock pulsed in Jake's loose grasp, my heart fluttered erratically; and the glow in my belly swelled to an inferno, before finally calming to a gentle buzz which radiated throughout every limb.

"I love you," I whispered, dragging my hand through Jake's damp, shaggy hair softly. But if he answered me, I didn't hear it. I was asleep before I could even smile.

The sun, hot on the bare skin of my back, woke me in the morning. Late morning, maybe afternoon, I wasn’t sure. Everything besides the time was clear, though. I knew exactly where I was; the bright room with the big white bed, brilliant sunlight streaming through the open doors. The clouds of netting would soften the shine.

I didn’t open my eyes. I was too happy to change anything, no matter how small.

The only sounds were the waves outside, our breathing, my heart beat.…

I was comfortable, even with the baking sun. His cool skin was the perfect antidote to the heat. Lying across his wintry chest, his arms wound around me, felt very easy and natural. I wondered idly what I’d been so panicky about last night. My fears, and his, all seemed silly now.

His fingers softly trailed down the contours of my spine, and I knew that he knew I was awake. I kept my eyes shut and tightened my arms around his neck, holding myself closer to him.

He didn’t speak; his fingers moved up and down my back, barely touching it as he lightly traced patterns on my skin.

I would have been happy to lie here forever, to never disturb this moment, but my body had other ideas. I laughed at my impatient stomach. It seemed sort of prosaic to be hungry after all that had passed last night. Like being brought back down to earth from some great height.

“What’s funny?” he murmured, still stroking my back. The sound of his voice, serious and husky, brought with it a deluge of memories from the night, and I felt a blush color my face and neck.

To answer his question, my stomach growled. I laughed again. “You just can’t escape being human for very long.”

I waited, but he did not laugh with me. Slowly, sinking through the many layers of bliss that clouded my head, came the realization of a different atmosphere outside my own glowing sphere of happiness.

I opened my eyes; the first thing I saw was the pale, almost silvery skin of his throat, the arc of his stubbled chin above my face. His jaw was taut. I propped myself up on my elbow so I could see his face.

He was staring at the frothy canopy above us, and he didn’t look at me as I studied his grave features. His expression was a shock; it sent a physical jolt through my body.

“Jake,” I said, a strange little catch in my throat, “what is it? What’s wrong?”

“Ya gotta ask?” His voice was hard, cynical.

My first instinct, the product of a lifetime of insecurities, was to wonder what I had done wrong. I thought through everything that had happened, but I couldn’t find any sour note in the memory. It had all been simpler than I’d expected; we’d fit together like corresponding pieces, made to match up. This had given me a secret, smug satisfaction; we were compatible physically, as well as all the other ways.

Fire and ice, somehow existing together without destroying each other. More proof that I belonged with him.

I couldn’t think of any part that would make him look like this; so severe and cold. What had I missed?

His finger smoothed the worried lines on my forehead.

“What're ya thinkin'?” he whispered.

“You’re upset. I don’t understand. Did I…?” I couldn’t finish.

His eyes tightened. “How bad're ya hurt, Taylor? The truth; don’t try to downplay it.”

“Hurt?” I repeated; my voice came out higher than usual because the word took me so much by surprise.

He raised one eyebrow, his lips a tight line.

I made a quick assessment, stretching my body automatically, tensing and flexing my muscles. There was stiffness, and a lot of soreness, too, it was true, but I had expected that. Having something that big in my ass was hardly going to go without notice the next day; but his cool skin had numbed a lot of the pain I'd anticipated.

Mostly there was the odd sensation that my bones all had become unhinged at the joints, and I had changed halfway into the consistency of a jellyfish. It was not an unpleasant feeling.

And then I was a little angry, because he was darkening this most perfect of all mornings with his pessimistic assumptions.

“Why would you jump to that conclusion? I’ve never been better than I am now.”

His eyes closed. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Stop actin' like I ain't a monster for havin' agreed to this.”

“Jake!” I whispered, really upset now. He was pulling my bright memory through the darkness, staining it. “Don’t ever say that.”

He didn’t open his eyes; it was like he didn’t want to see me.

“Look at yaself, Taylor. Then tell me I ain't a monster.”

Wounded, shocked, I followed his instruction unthinkingly and then gasped.

What had happened to me? I couldn’t make sense of the fluffy white snow that clung to my skin. I shook my head, and a cascade of white drifted out of my hair.

I pinched one soft white bit between my fingers. It was a piece of down.

“Why am I covered in feathers?” I asked, confused.

He exhaled impatiently. “I bit a pillow. Or two. That ain't what I’m talkin' 'bout.”

“You… bit a pillow?" He really wasn't helping clear my confusion. "Why?”

“ _Look_ , Taylor!” he almost growled. He took my hand, very gingerly, and stretched my arm out. “Look at _that_.”

This time, I saw what he meant.

Under the dusting of feathers, large purplish bruises were beginning to blossom across the pale skin of my arm. My eyes followed the trail they made up to my shoulder, and then down across my ribs. I pulled my hand free to poke at a discoloration on my left forearm, watching it fade where I touched and then reappear. It throbbed a little.

So lightly that he was barely touching me, Jake placed his hand against the bruises on my arm, one at a time, matching his long fingers to the patterns.

“Oh,” I said.

I tried to remember this, to remember pain, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t recall a moment when his hold had been too tight, his hands too hard against me. I only remembered wanting him to hold me tighter, and being pleased when he did.…

“I’m… _so_ sorry, Taylor,” he whispered while I stared at the bruises. “I knew better'n this. I should never've—” He made a low, revolted sound in the back of his throat. “I'm more sorry'n I can tell ya.”

He threw his arm over his face and became perfectly still.

I sat for one long moment in total astonishment, trying to come to terms, now that I understood it, with his misery. It was so contrary to the way that I felt that it was difficult to process.

The shock wore off slowly, leaving nothing in its absence. Emptiness. My mind as blank. I couldn’t think of what to say. How could I explain it to him in the right way? How could I make him as happy as I was; or as I had been, a moment ago?

I touched his arm, and he didn’t respond. I wrapped my fingers around his wrist and tried to pry his arm off his face, but I could have been yanking on a sculpture for all the good it did me.

“Jake.”

He didn’t move.

“Jake?”

Nothing. So, this would be a monologue, then.

“I’m not sorry, Jake. I’m… I can’t even tell you. I’m so happy. That doesn’t cover it. Don’t be angry. Don’t. I’m really f—”

“Don't say the word _fine_.” His voice was ice cold. “If ya value my sanity, don't say that ya bloody fine.”

“But I _am_ ,” I whispered.

“Taylor,” he almost moaned. “Don’t.”

“No. _You_ don’t, Jake.”

He moved his arm; his cerulean eyes watched me warily.

“Don’t _ruin_ this,” I told him. “I. _Am_. Happy.”

“I already ruined this,” he whispered.

“Cut it out,” I snapped.

I heard his teeth grind together.

“ _Ugh_!” I groaned. “Why can’t you just read my mind already? It’s so inconvenient to be a mental mute!”

His eyes widened a little bit, distracted in spite of himself. “That’s a new one. Ya love that I can’t read ya mind.”

“Not today.”

He stared at me. “Why?"

I threw my hands up in frustration, feeling an ache in my shoulder that I ignored.

My palms fell back against his chest with a sharp smack. “Because all this angst would be completely unnecessary if you could see how I feel right now! Or five minutes ago, anyway. I was perfectly happy. Totally and completely blissed out. Now… well, I’m sort of pissed, actually.”

“Ya should be angry at me.”

“Well, I am. Does that make you feel better?”

He sighed. “No. I don’t think anythin'd make me feel better now.”

“ _That_ ,” I snapped. “That right there is why I’m angry. You are _killing_ my _buzz_ , Jake.”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

I took a deep breath. I was feeling more of the soreness now, but it wasn’t that bad. Sort of like the day after lifting weights. I’d done that with Jordan during one of his fitness sessions; trying to help him get onto the school sports team. Sixty-five lunges with ten pounds in each hand. I couldn’t walk the next day. This was not as painful as that had been by half. I swallowed my irritation and tried to make my voice soothing. “We knew this was going to be tricky. I thought that was assumed. And then… well, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. And this is really nothing.” I brushed my fingers along my arm. “I think for a first time, not knowing what to expect, we did amazing. With a little practice—”

His expression was suddenly so livid that I broke off mid-sentence.

“Assumed? Did ya _expect_ this, Taylor? Were ya anticipatin' I'd hurt ya? Were ya thinkin' it'd be worse? D'ya consider the experiment a success 'cause ya can walk away from it? No broken bones; that equals a victory?”

I waited, letting him get it all out. Then I waited some more while his breathing went back to normal. When his eyes were calm, I answered, speaking with slow precision.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but I definitely did not expect how… how… just wonderful and perfect it was.” My voice dropped to a whisper, my eyes slipped from his face down to my hands. “I mean, I don’t know how it was for _you_ , but it was like that for _me.”_

A cool finger pulled my chin back up.

“Is _that_ what ya worried 'bout?” he said through his teeth. “That I didn’t enjoy myself?”

My eyes stayed down. “I know it’s not the same." I said quietly, trying not to betray my uncertainty. "You’re not human. I just was trying to explain that, for a human, well... I can’t imagine that life gets any better than that.”

He was quiet for so long that, finally, I had to look up. His face was softer now, thoughtful.

“Looks like I got more to apologize for.” He frowned. “I didn’t dream that ya'd be dumb enough to think the way I feel 'bout what I did to ya; would mean last night weren’t… well, the best night of my existence. But I don’t wanna think of it that way, not when ya...”

My lips curved up a little at the edges. “Really? The best... _ever?”_ I asked in a small voice.

He took my face between his hands, still introspective. “I spoke to Mike after we made our bargain, hopin' he'd help me. 'Course he warned me it'd be real dangerous for ya.” A shadow crossed his expression. “He believed in me, though… though I didn’t deserve it.”

I started to protest, and he put two fingers over my lips before I could comment.

“I also asked him what I oughta expect. I didn’t know what it'd be for me… with my bein' a vampire.” He smiled halfheartedly. “Mike told me 's a real powerful thing, like nothin' else. He told me physical love was somethin' I shouldn't treat lightly. With our rarely changin' temperaments, strong emotions can alter us in permanent ways. But he said I didn't need to worry 'bout that part… ya already altered me so completely.” This time his smile was more genuine.

“I spoke to he others, too." He said, rolling his eyes. "Once the assholes stopped laughin' an' actually answered, they told me it was a real great pleasure. Second only to drinkin' human blood.” A line creased his brow. “But I tasted _your_ blood, an' there'd be no blood more potent'n that.… I don’t think they were wrong, really. Just that it 's different for us. Somethin'... more.”

“It _was_ more. It was _everything_.”

“That don’t change the fact that it 's wrong. Even if it were possible, that ya really did feel that way.”

“What does that mean? Do you think I’m making this up? Why?”

“To ease my guilt. I can’t ignore the evidence, Taylor. Or ya history of tryin' to let me off the hook when I make mistakes.”

I grabbed his chin and leaned forward so that our faces were inches apart. “You listen to me, Jacob Lucas McKenzie. I am not pretending _anything_ for your sake, okay? I didn’t even know there was a reason to make you feel better until you started being all _miserable._ I’ve never been so happy in all my life! I wasn’t this happy when you decided that you loved me more than you wanted to kill me, or the first morning I woke up and you were there waiting for me.… Not when I heard your voice in the ballet studio,” he flinched at the old memory of my close call with a hunting vampire, but I didn’t pause, “or when you said ‘I do’ and I realized that, somehow, I get to keep you _forever_ . Those are the happiest memories I have, and this is better than _any_ of it. So just _deal_ with it.”

He touched the frown line between my eyebrows. “I’m makin' ya unhappy now. I don’t wanna do that.”

“Then don’t _you_ be unhappy. That’s the _only_ thing that’s wrong here.”

His eyes tightened, then he took a deep breath and nodded. “Ya right. The past is past an' I can’t do nothin' to change it. There ain't no sense in lettin' my mood sour this time for ya. I’ll do whatever I can to make ya happy now.”

I examined his face suspiciously, and he gave me a serene smile.

“ _Whatever_ makes me happy?”

My stomach growled at the same time that I asked.

“Ya hungry,” he said quickly. He was swiftly out of the bed, stirring up a cloud of feathers. Which reminded me.

“So, why exactly _did_ you decide to ruin the pillows?” I asked, sitting up and shaking more down from my hair.

He had already pulled on a pair of loose khaki pants, and he stood by the door, rumpling his hair, dislodging a few feathers of his own.

“I dunno if I decided to do anythin' last night,” he muttered. “We’re just lucky it 's the pillows an' not _you_.” He inhaled deeply and then shook his head, as if shaking off the dark thought. A very authentic-looking smile spread across his face, but I guessed it took a lot of work to put it there.

I slid carefully off the high bed and stretched again, more aware, now, of the aches and sore spots. I heard him gasp. He turned away from me, and his hands balled up, knuckles white.

“Do I look that hideous?” I asked, working to keep my tone light. His breath caught, but he didn’t turn, probably to hide his expression from me. I walked to the bathroom to check for myself.

I stared at my naked body in the full-length mirror behind the door.

I’d definitely had worse. There was a faint shadow across one of my cheekbones, and my lips were a little swollen, but other than that, my face was fine. The rest of me was decorated with patches of blue and purple. I concentrated on the bruises that would be the hardest to hide; my arms and my shoulders. They weren’t so bad. My skin marked up easily. By the time a bruise showed I’d usually forgotten how I’d come by it. Of course, these were just developing. I’d look even worse tomorrow. That would not make things any easier.

I looked at my hair, then, and groaned.

“Taylor?” He was right there behind me as soon as I’d made a sound.

“I’ll never get this all out of my hair!” I pointed to my head, where it looked like a chicken was nesting. I started picking at the feathers.

“Only _you'd_ be worried 'bout ya damn hair,” he mumbled, but he came to stand behind me, pulling out the feathers much more quickly.

“How did you keep from laughing at this? I look ridiculous.”

He didn’t answer; he just kept plucking. And I knew the answer anyway; there was nothing that would be funny to him in this mood.

“This isn’t going to work,” I sighed after a minute. “It’s all dried in. I’m going to have to try to wash it out.” I turned around, wrapping my arms around his cool waist. “Do you want to help me?”

“I better find some food for ya,” he said in a quiet voice, and he gently unwound my arms. I sighed as he disappeared, moving too fast.

It looked like my honeymoon was over. The thought put a big lump in my throat.

When I was mostly feather-free and dressed in an unfamiliar white cotton shirt and loose shorts that concealed the worst of the violet blotches, I padded off barefoot to where the smell of eggs and bacon and cheddar cheese was coming from.

Jake stood in front of the stainless steel stove, sliding an omelet onto the light blue plate waiting on the counter. The scent of the food overwhelmed me. I felt like I could eat the plate and the frying pan, too; my stomach snarled.

“Here,” he said. He turned with a smile on his face and set the plate on a small tiled table.

I sat in one of the two metal chairs and started snarfing down the hot eggs. They burned my throat, but I didn’t care.

He sat down across from me and propped his chin in his palm. “I ain't feedin' ya often enough.”

I swallowed and then reminded him, “I was asleep. This is really good, by the way. Impressive for someone who doesn’t eat.”

“Food Network,” he said, flashing my favorite crooked smile.

I was happy to see it, happy that he seemed more like his normal self.

“Where did the eggs come from?”

“I asked the cleanin' crew to stock the kitchen. A first, for this place. I’ll have to ask 'em to deal with the feathers'n all… ” He trailed off, his gaze fixed on a space above my head. I didn’t respond, trying to avoid saying anything that would upset him again.

I ate everything, though he’d made enough for two.

“Thank you,” I told him. I leaned across the table to kiss him. He kissed me back automatically, and then suddenly stiffened and leaned away.

I gritted my teeth, and the question I meant to ask came out sounding like an accusation. “You aren’t going to touch me again while we’re here, are you?”

He hesitated, then half-smiled and raised his hand to stroke my cheek. His fingers lingered softly on my skin, and I couldn’t help leaning my face into his palm.

“You _know_ that’s not what I meant.”

He sighed and dropped his hand. “I know. An' ya right.” He paused, lifting his chin slightly. And then he spoke again with firm conviction. “I ain't gonna sleep with ya 'til ya been changed. I ain't never gonna hurt ya 'gain.”


	6. Distractions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy all
> 
> I know the world isn't too great rn, but i hope this can create a lottle distraction for everyone ❤
> 
> Thinking of you all and wishing you all he best!
> 
> x Our love to you all x

**Distractions**

My entertainment became the number-one priority on La Huerta. We snorkelled; well, I snorkelled while he flaunted his ability to go without oxygen indefinitely. We explored the small jungle that ringed the rocky little peak. We visited the parrots that lived in the canopy on the south end of the island. We watched the sunset from the rocky western cove. We swam with the porpoises that played in the warm, shallow waters there. Or at least I did; when Jake was in the water, the porpoises disappeared as if a shark was near.

I knew what was going on. He was trying to keep me busy, distracted, so I that wouldn’t continue badgering him about the sex thing. Whenever I tried to talk him into taking it easy with one of the million DVDs under the big-screen plasma TV, he would lure me out of the house with magic words like coral reefs and submerged caves and sea turtles. We were going, going, going all day, so that I found myself completely famished and exhausted when the sun eventually set.

I drooped over my plate after I finished dinner every night; once I’d actually fallen asleep right at the table and he’d had to carry me to bed. Part of it was that Jake always made too much food for one, but I was so hungry after swimming and climbing all day that I ate most of it. Then, full and worn out, I could barely keep my eyes open. All part of the plan, no doubt.

Exhaustion didn’t help much with my attempts at persuasion. But I didn’t give up. I tried reasoning, pleading, and grouching, all to no avail. I was usually unconscious before I could really press my case far. And then my dreams felt so real; nightmares mostly, made more vivid, I guessed, by the too-bright colors of the island, that I woke up tired no matter how long I slept.

About a week or so after we’d gotten to the island, I decided to try compromising. It had worked for us in the past.

I was sleeping in the blue room now. The cleaning crew wasn’t due until the next day, and so the white room still had a snowy blanket of down. The blue room was smaller, the bed more reasonably proportioned. The walls were dark, paneled in teak, and the fittings were all luxurious blue silk.

I’d taken to wearing some of Quinn’s ridiculous male lingerie collection to sleep in at night, which weren’t so revealing compared to the scanty swim trunks she’d packed for me when it came right down to it. I wondered if she’d seen a vision of why I would want such things, and then shuddered, embarrassed by that thought.

I’d started out slow with innocent ivory satins, worried that revealing more of my skin would be the opposite of helpful, but ready to try anything. Jake seemed to notice nothing, as if I were wearing the same old pajamas I always wore at home.

The bruises were much better now, yellowing in some places and disappearing altogether in others, so tonight I pulled out one of the scarier pieces as I got ready in the paneled bathroom. It was black, lacy, and embarrassing to look at even when it wasn’t on. I was careful not to look in the mirror before I went back to the bedroom. I didn’t want to lose my nerve.

I had the satisfaction of watching his eyes pop open wide for just a second before he controlled his expression.

“What do you think?” I asked, pirouetting slowly so that he could see every angle.

He cleared his throat. “Ya look gorgeous. Ya always do.”

“Gee, thanks,” I said a bit sourly.

I was too tired to resist climbing quickly into the soft bed. He put his arms around me and pulled me against his chest, but this was routine; it was too hot to sleep without his cool body close.

“I’ll make you a deal,” I said sleepily.

“I ain’t makin’ no deals with ya,” he answered quickly.

“You haven’t even heard what I’m offering.”

“It don’t matter.”

I sighed. “Dang it. And I really wanted… Oh well.”

He rolled his eyes.

I closed mine and let the bait sit there. I yawned. It took only a minute; not long enough for me to zonk out.

“Alright… what is it ya want?”

I gritted my teeth for a second, fighting a smile. If there was one thing he couldn’t resist, it was an opportunity to give me something.

“Well, I was thinking… I know that the whole Dartmouth thing was just supposed to be a cover story, but honestly, one semester of university probably _wouldn’t_ kill me,” I said, echoing his words from long ago, when he’d tried to persuade me to put off becoming a vampire. “Scott would get a thrill out of Dartmouth stories, I bet. Sure, it might be embarrassing if I can’t keep up with all the brainiacs. Still… twenty one, twenty two. It is really not such a big difference. It’s not like I’m going to get crow’s feet in the next year.”

He was silent for a long moment. Then, in a low voice, he said, “Ya’d wait. Ya’d stay human.”

I held my tongue, letting the offer sink in.

“Why’re ya bloody _doin’_ this to me?” he said through his teeth, his tone suddenly angry. “Ain’t it hard enough without all _this_?” He grabbed a handful of lace that was ruffled on my thigh. For a moment, I thought he was going to rip it from the seam. Then his hand relaxed. “It don’t matter. I ain’t makin’ no deals with ya.”

“I want to go to university.”

“No, ya don’t. And there ain’t nothin’ that’s worth riskin’ ya life ‘gain. That’s worth hurtin’ ya.”

“But I _do_ want to go. Well, it’s not university as much as it’s that I want… I want to be human a little while longer.”

He closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. “Ya drivin’ me bloody insane, Taylor. Ain’t we had this argument a million times… with ya always beggin’ to be a vampire, without delay?”

“Yes, but… well, I have a reason to be human that I didn’t have before.”

“What’s that?”

“Guess,” I said, and I dragged myself off the pillows to kiss him.

He kissed me back, but not in a way that made me think I was winning. It was more like he was being careful not to hurt my feelings; he was completely, maddeningly in control of himself. Gently, he pulled me away after a moment and cradled me against his chest.

“Ya so human, Taylor. Ruled by ya hormones.” He chuckled.

“That’s the whole point, Jake. I like _this_ part of being human. I don’t want to give it up yet. I don’t want to wait through years of being a blood-crazed newborn for some part of this to come back to me.” I yawned, and he smiled.

“Ya tired. Sleep.” He started humming the lullaby he’d composed for me when we first met.

“I wonder why I’m so tired,” I muttered sarcastically. “That couldn’t be part of your scheme or anything.”

He just chuckled once and went back to humming.

“For as tired as I’ve been, you’d think I’d sleep better.”

The song broke off. “Ya been sleepin’ like the dead, Taylor. Ya ain’t said a word in ya sleep since we got here. If it weren’t for the snorin’, I’d worry ya were slippin’ in a coma.”

I ignored the snoring jibe; I didn’t snore. “I haven’t been tossing? That’s weird. Usually I’m all over the bed when I’m having nightmares. And shouting.”

“Ya been havin’ nightmares?”

“Vivid ones. They make me so tired.” I yawned. “I can’t believe I haven’t been babbling about them all night.”

“What’re they ‘bout?”

“Different things… but the same, you know, because of the colours.”

“Colours?”

“It’s all so bright and real. Usually, when I’m dreaming, I know that I am. With these, I don’t know I’m asleep. It makes them scarier.”

He sounded disturbed when he spoke again. “What’s frightenin’ ya?”

I shuddered slightly. “Mostly...” I hesitated.

“Mostly?” he prompted.

I wasn’t sure why, but I didn’t want to tell him about the child in my recurring nightmare; there was something private about that particular horror. So, instead of giving him the full description, I gave him just one element. Certainly enough to frighten me or anyone else.

“The Volturi,” I whispered.

He hugged me tighter. “They ain’t going to bother us anymore. Ya gonna be immortal soon, an’ they’ll have no reason.”

I let him comfort me, feeling a little guilty that he’d misunderstood. The nightmares weren’t like that, exactly. It wasn’t that I was afraid for myself; I was afraid for the boy.

He wasn’t the same boy as that first dream; the vampire child with the blood red eyes who sat on a pile of dead people I loved. This boy I’d dreamed of four times in the last week was definitely human; his cheeks were flushed and his wide eyes were a soft blue. But just like the other child, he shook with fear and desperation as the Volturi closed in on us.

In this dream that was both new and old, I simply had to protect the unknown child. There was no other option. At the same time, I knew that I would fail.

He saw the desolation on my face. “What can I do?”

I shook it off. “They’re just dreams, Jake.”

“D’ya want me to sing to ya? I’ll sing all night, if it’ll keep ya bad dreams away.”

“They’re not all bad. Some are nice. So… colourful. Underwater, with the fish and the coral. It all seems like it’s really happening; I don’t know that I’m dreaming. Maybe this island is the problem. It’s really bright here.”

“D’ya wanna go home?”

“No. No, not yet. Can’t we stay awhile longer?”

“We can stay as long ‘s ya want, Taylor,” he promised me.

“When does the semester start? I wasn’t paying attention before.”

He sighed. He may have started humming again, too, but I was under before I could be sure.

Later, when I awoke in the dark, it was with shock. The dream had been so very real… so vivid, so sensory… I gasped aloud, now, disoriented by the dark room.

Only a second ago, it seemed, I had been under the brilliant sun.

“Taylor?” Jake whispered, his arms tight around me, shaking me gently. “Ya alright, babe?”

“Oh,” I gasped again. Just a dream. Not real. To my utter astonishment, tears overflowed from my eyes without warning, gushing down my face. 

“Taylor!” he said; louder, alarmed now. “What’s wrong?” He wiped the tears from my hot cheeks with cold, frantic fingers, but others followed.

“It was only a dream.” I couldn’t contain the low sob that broke in my voice. The senseless tears were disturbing, but I couldn’t get control of the staggering grief that gripped me. I wanted so badly for the dream to be real.

“‘S alright, Boy Scout, ya fine. I’m here.” He rocked me back and forth, a little too fast to soothe. “Did ya have ‘nother nightmare? It weren’t real, it weren’t real.”

“Not a nightmare.” I shook my head, scrubbing the back of my hand against my eyes. “It was a _good_ dream.” My voice broke again.

“Then... what’re ya cryin’ for?” he asked, bewildered.

“Because I _woke up,”_ I wailed, wrapping my arms around his neck in a chokehold and sobbing into his throat.

He laughed once at my logic, but the sound was tense with concern. “Everythin’s alright, Taylor. Take deep breaths.”

“It was _so_ real,” I cried. “I _wanted_ it to be real.”

“Tell me ‘bout it,” he urged. “Maybe that’ll help.”

“We were on the beach...” I trailed off, pulling back to look with tear-filled eyes at his anxious angel’s face, dim in the darkness. I stared at him broodingly as the unreasonable grief began to ebb.

“And?” he finally prompted.

I blinked the tears out of my eyes, torn. “Oh, _Jake_...”

 _“Tell_ me, Taylor,” he pleaded, eyes wild with worry at the pain in my voice.

But I couldn’t. Instead I clutched my arms around his neck again and locked my mouth with his feverishly. It wasn’t desire at all; it was _need_ , acute to the point of pain. His response was instant but quickly followed by his rebuff.

He struggled with me as gently as he could in his surprise, holding me away, grasping my shoulders. “ _No_ , Taylor,” he insisted, looking at me as if he was worried that I’d lost my mind.

My arms dropped, defeated, the bizarre tears spilling in a fresh torrent down my face, a new sob rising in my throat. He was right; I must be crazy.

He stared at me with confused, anguished eyes.

“I’m s-s-s-orry,” I mumbled.

But he pulled me to him then, hugging me tightly to his marble chest.

“I can’t, Taylor, I _can’t_!” His moan was agonized.

“Please,” I said, my plea muffled against his skin. “ _Please_ , Jake?”

I couldn’t tell if he was moved by the tears trembling in my voice, or if he was unprepared to deal with the suddenness of my attack, or if his need was simply as unbearable in that moment as my own. But whatever the reason, he pulled my lips back to his, surrendering with a groan.

And we began where my dream had left off.

His hands were cool, soothing my feverish skin. His lips were demanding, as urgent as mine. I wasn’t aware of just when his clothes disappeared, or when the lace I’d been wearing had also miraculously disappeared, but then he was inside me, and the glow in my belly was back; a molten, liquid fire which blazed stronger with every urgent movement he made within me.

I gasped and pleaded, swallowing his moans of pleasure as he stretched his hands up above me, his hips moving with an urgency that only barely matched my own.

The bed creaked, but I barely heard it over the heavy thud of my own heart, racing toward a finish line that I’d needed to cross for days.

“Jake-!” I cried, as my body came undone beneath him, my breath catching as Jake swore and moaned loudly, his lips touching every inch of me that he could reach.

Everything was as perfect as I remembered, the glow in my belly seeming to flare briefly in agreement, before simmering contently as Jake panted and rolled to lay beside me, pulling me into his arms and kissing me softly as I babbled nonsensically, before drifting right back to sleep again.

I stayed very still when I woke up in the morning and tried to keep my breathing even. I was afraid to open my eyes.

I was lying across Jake’s chest, but he was very still and his arms were not wrapped around me. That was a bad sign. I was afraid to admit I was awake and face his anger; no matter whom it was directed at today.

Carefully, I peeked through my eyelashes. He was staring up at the dark ceiling, his arms behind his head. I pulled myself up on my elbow so that I could see his face better. It was smooth, expressionless.

“How much trouble am I in?” I asked in a small voice.

“ _Heaps_ ,” he said, but turned his head and smirked at me.

I breathed a sigh of relief. “I _am_ sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean… Well, I don’t know exactly _what_ that was last night.” I shook my head at the memory of the irrational tears, the crushing grief.

“Ya never did tell me what ya dream was ‘bout.”

“I guess I didn’t… but I sort of _showed_ you what it was about.” I laughed nervously.

“Oh,” he said. His eyes widened, and then he blinked. “Interestin’.”

“It was a _very_ good dream,” I murmured. He didn’t comment, so a few seconds later I asked, “Am I forgiven?”

“I’m thinkin’ ‘bout it.”

I sat up, planning to examine myself, there didn’t seem to be any feathers, at least. But as I moved, an odd wave of vertigo hit. I swayed and fell back against the pillows.

“Whoa… head rush.”

His arms were around me then. “Ya slept a long time. Twelve hours.”

“ _Twelve_?” How strange.

I gave myself a quick once-over while I spoke, trying to be inconspicuous about it. I looked fine. The bruises on my arms were still a week old, yellowing. I stretched experimentally. I felt fine, too. Well, better than fine, actually.

“Ya inventory complete?”

I nodded sheepishly. “The pillows all appear to have survived, too.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for ya, er, nightwear.” He nodded toward the foot of the bed, where several scraps of black lace were strewn across the silk sheets.

“That’s too bad,” I said thoughtfully. “I liked that one.”

“Me an’ all.” He smirked.

“Were there any other casualties?” I asked timidly.

“I’ll have to buy a new bed frame,” he confessed, glancing over his shoulder.

I followed his gaze and was shocked to see that large chunks of wood had apparently been gouged from the left side of the headboard.

“Hmm.” I frowned. “You’d think I would have heard that.”

“Ya seem to be _real_ unobservant when ya attention’s otherwise involved.” He chuckled.

“I _was_ a bit absorbed,” I admitted, blushing a deep red.

He touched my burning cheek and sighed. “I’m really gonna miss that.”

I stared at his face, searching for any signs of the anger or remorse I feared. He gazed back at me evenly, his expression calm but otherwise unreadable. “How are you feeling?”

He laughed.

“What?” I demanded.

“Ya look so guilty… like ya just committed a crime.”

“I _feel_ guilty,” I muttered.

“So ya seduced ya all-too-willin’ husband. Ain’t exactly a capital offense.”

He seemed to be teasing.

My cheeks got hotter. “The word seduced implies a certain amount of premeditation.”

“Maybe that ‘s the wrong word,” he allowed.

“You’re not angry?”

He smiled ruefully. “I ain’t angry.”

“Why not?”

“Well...” He paused. “I didn’t hurt ya, for one thing. It ‘s easier this time’n all, to control myself, to channel the excesses.” His eyes flickered to the damaged frame again. “Maybe ‘cause I had a better idea of what to expect.”

A hopeful smile started to spread across my face. “I told you that it was all about practice.”

He rolled his eyes.

My stomach growled, and he laughed. “Breakfast time for the human?” he asked.

“Please,” I said, hopping out of bed. I moved too quickly, though, and had to stagger drunkenly to regain my balance. He caught me before I could stumble into the dresser.

“Ya alright?”

“If I don’t have a better sense of equilibrium in my next life, I’m demanding a refund.”

I cooked this morning, frying up some eggs; too hungry to do anything more elaborate. Impatient, I flipped them onto a plate after just a few minutes.

“Since when d’ya eat eggs sunny-side up?” he asked.

“Since now.”

“D’ya know how many eggs ya gone through in the last week?” He pulled the trash bin out from under the sink; it was full of empty blue cartons.

“Weird,” I said after swallowing a scorching bite. “This place is messing with my appetite.” And my dreams, and my already dubious balance. “But I like it here. We’ll probably have to leave soon, though, won’t we, to make it to Dartmouth in time? Wow, I guess we need to find a place to live and stuff, too.”

He sat down next to me. “Ya can give up the college pretense now; ya got what ya wanted. An’ we didn’t agree to no deal, so there ain’t no strings attached.”

I snorted. “It wasn’t a pretense, Jake. I don’t spend my free time plotting like _some_ people do. ‘What can we do to wear Taylor out today’?” I said in a poor impression of his voice. He laughed, unashamed. “I really _do_ want a little more time being human.” I leaned over to run my hand across his bare chest. “I have not had enough.”

He gave me a dubious look. “For _this_?” he asked, catching my hand as it moved down his stomach. “Sex ‘s the key all ‘long?” He rolled his eyes. “Why didn’t I think of that?” he muttered sarcastically. “I could’ve saved myself a lotta arguments.”

I laughed. “Yeah, probably.”

“Ya so human,” he said again.

“I know.”

A hint of a smile pulled at his lips. “We’re goin’ to Dartmouth? Ya mean it?”

“I’ll probably fail out in one semester.”

“I’ll tutor ya.” The smile was wide now. “Ya gonna love uni.”

“Do you think we can find an apartment this late?”

He grimaced, looking guilty. “Well, we sorta already gotta house there. Ya know, just in case.”

“You bought a house?”

“Real estate is a good investment.”

I raised one eyebrow and then let it go. “So we’re ready, then.”

“I’ll have to see if we can keep ya ‘before’ car a ‘lil longer...”

“Yes, heaven forbid I not be protected from tanks.”

He grinned.

“How much longer can we stay?” I asked.

“We’re fine on time. Few more weeks, if ya want. I'll fix it so we start a 'lil late..." he shrugged easily, and even though I knew there would be a huge bribe involved, I let it go. I was winning in the long run, I knew. "An’ then we can visit Scott ‘fore we go to New Hampshire. We can spend Christmas with Julia, an’ ya brother...”

His words painted a very happy immediate future, one free of pain for everyone involved. 

This wasn’t getting any easier. Now that I’d discovered exactly how good being human could be, it was tempting to let my plans drift. Twenty one, twenty two… did it really matter? I wouldn’t change so much in a year. And being human with Jake… 

The choice got trickier every day.

“A few weeks,” I agreed. And then, because there never seemed to be enough time, I added, “So I was thinking; you know what I was saying about practice before?”

He laughed. “Can ya hold that thought? I hear a boat. Cleanin’ crew must be here.”

He wanted me to hold that thought. So did that mean he was not going to give me any more trouble about practicing? I smiled.

“Let me explain the mess in the white room to ‘em, an’ then we can head out. There’s a place in the jungle on the south—”

“I don’t want to go out. I am _not_ hiking all over the island today. I want to stay _here_ and watch a movie.”

He pursed his lips, trying not to laugh at my disgruntled tone. “Alright, whatever ya like. Why don’t ya pick one out while I get the door?”

“I didn’t hear a knock.”

He cocked his head to the side, listening. A half second later, a faint, timid rap on the door sounded. He grinned and turned for the hallway.

I wandered over to the shelves under the big TV and started scanning through the titles. It was hard to decide where to begin. They had more DVDs than a rental store.

I could hear Jake’s low, velvet voice as he came back down the hall, conversing fluidly in what I assumed was perfect... something or other. Another, harsher, human voice answered in the same tongue.

Jake led them into the room, pointing toward the kitchen on his way. The two humans looked incredibly short and dark next to him. One was a round man, the other a slight female, both their faces creased with lines. Jake gestured to me with a proud smile, and I heard my name mixed in with a flurry of unfamiliar words. I flushed a little as I thought of the downy mess in the white room, which they would soon encounter. The little man smiled at me politely.

But the tiny coffee-skinned woman didn’t smile. She stared at me with a mixture of shock, worry, and most of all, wide-eyed fear. Before I could react, Jake motioned for them to follow him toward the chicken coop, and they were gone.

When he reappeared, he was alone. He walked swiftly to my side and wrapped his arms around me.

“What’s with her?” I whispered urgently, remembering her panicked expression.

He shrugged, unperturbed. “She was raised to be more superstitious, or ya could call it more aware’n those that live in the modern world. She suspects what I am, or close 'nough.” He still didn’t sound worried. “They got their own legends here. She thinks I’m a kinda Incubi; a demon what preys on beautiful men.” He leered at me. _Beautiful_ men only? Well, that was kind of flattering.

“She looked terrified,” I said.

“She is; but mostly she’s worried ‘bout _you_.”

“Me?”

“She’s ‘fraid of why I got ya here, all alone.” He chuckled darkly and then looked toward the wall of movies. “Anyway, why don’t ya choose somethin’ for us to watch? That’s an acceptably _human_ thing to do.”

“Yes, I’m sure a movie will convince her that you’re human.” I laughed and clasped my arms securely around his neck, stretching up on my tiptoes. He leaned down so that I could kiss him, and then his arms tightened around me, lifting me off the floor so he didn’t have to bend.

“Movie, schmovie,” I muttered as his lips moved down my throat, twisting my fingers in his shaggy hair.

Then I heard a gasp, and he put me down abruptly. The little cleaning woman stood frozen in the hallway, feathers in her black hair, a large sack of more feathers in her arms, an expression of horror on her face. She stared at me, her eyes bugging out, as I blushed and looked down. Then she recovered herself and murmured something that, even in an unfamiliar language, was clearly an apology. Jake smiled and answered in a friendly tone. She turned her dark eyes away and continued down the hall.

“She was thinking what I think she was thinking, wasn’t she?” I muttered.

He laughed at my convoluted sentence. “Yeah.”

“Here,” I said, reaching out at random and grabbing a movie. “Put this on an’ we can pretend to watch it.”

It was an old musical with smiling faces and fluffy dresses on the front.

“Very honeymoonish,” Jake approved.

While actors on the screen danced their way through a perky introduction song, I lolled on the sofa, snuggled into Jake’s arms.

“Will we move back into the white room now?” I wondered idly.

“I dunno.… I already mangled the headboard in the other room beyond repair; maybe if we limit the destruction to one area of the house, it’ll take less time to repair.”

I smiled widely. “So there will be more destruction?”

He laughed at my expression. “I think ’s gonna be safer if ’s premeditated, rather’n if I wait for ya to assault me ‘gain.”

“It _would_ only be a matter of time,” I agreed casually, but my pulse was racing in my veins.

“There somethin’ the matter with ya heart?”

“Nope. Healthy as a horse.” I paused. “Did you want to go survey the demolition zone now?”

“Maybe it’d be more polite to wait ‘til we’re alone. _You_ may not notice me tearin’ the furniture apart, but it’d probably scare the shit outta ‘em.”

In truth, I’d already forgotten the people in the other room. “Right. Drat.” 

The cleaners moved quietly through the house while I waited impatiently for them to finish and tried to pay attention to the happily-ever-after on the screen. I was starting to get sleepy, though, according to Jake, I’d slept half the day, when a rough voice startled me. Jake sat up, keeping me cradled against him, and answered in his flowing something or other. The man nodded and walked quietly toward the front door.

“They’re finished,” Jake told me.

“So... that would mean that we’re alone now?”

“How ‘bout lunch first?” he suggested.

I bit my lip, torn by the dilemma. I _was_ pretty hungry. With a smile, he took my hand and led me to the kitchen. He knew my face so well, it didn’t matter that he couldn’t read my mind.

“This is getting out of hand,” I complained when I finally felt full.

“D’ya want to swim with dolphins this afternoon… burn off the calories?” he asked.

“Maybe later. I had _another_ idea for burning calories.”

“And what ‘s that?”

“Well... there’s an awful lot of headboard left—”

But I didn’t finish. He’d already swept me up into his arms, and his lips silenced mine as he carried me with inhuman speed to the blue room.


	7. Unexpected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're all doing okay and staying safe in these troubling times
> 
> Here is an update, which i hope you enjoy ❤
> 
> x Our love to you all x

**Unexpected**

The line of black advanced on me through the shroud-like mist. I could see their dark ruby eyes glinting with desire, lusting for the kill. Their lips pulled back over their sharp, wet teeth; some to snarl, some to smile.

I heard the child behind me whimper, but I couldn’t turn to look at him. Though I was desperate to be sure that he was safe, I could not afford any lapse in focus now.

They ghosted closer, their black robes billowing slightly with the movement. I saw their hands curl into bone-colored claws. They started to drift apart, angling to come at us from all sides. We were surrounded. We were going to die.

And then, like a burst of light from a flash, the whole scene was different. Yet nothing changed; the Volturi still stalked toward us, poised to kill. All that really changed was how the picture looked to me. Suddenly, I was hungry for it. I wanted them to charge. The panic changed to bloodlust as I crouched forward, a smile on my face, and a growl ripped through my bared teeth.

I jolted upright, shocked out of the dream.

The room was black. It was also steamy hot. Sweat matted my hair at the temples and rolled down my throat.

I groped the warm sheets and found them empty.

“Jake?”

Just then, my fingers encountered something smooth and flat and stiff. One sheet of paper, folded in half. I took the note with me and felt my way across the room to the light switch.

The outside of the note was addressed to Mr. McKenzie. I rolled my eyes. He was gonna milk this forever.

_I’m hopin’ ya won’t wake an’ notice my absence, but, if ya do, I’ll be back real soon. I’ve gone to the mainland to hunt. Go back to sleep an’ I’ll be here when ya wake ‘gain. I love ya._

I sighed. I tried to remember how many weeks we'd been here now and realised I'd totally lost all track of time. Stil, I should have been expecting that he would have to leave, even if I _hadn’t_ been thinking about time. We seemed to exist outside of time here, just drifting along in a perfect state. I wiped the sweat off my forehead. I felt absolutely wide awake, though the clock on the dresser said it was after one. I knew I would never be able to sleep as hot and sticky as I felt. Not to mention the fact that if I shut off the light and closed my eyes, I was sure to see those prowling black figures in my head. I got up and wandered aimlessly through the dark house, flipping on lights. It felt so big and empty without Jake there. Different. I ended up in the kitchen and decided that maybe comfort food was what I needed.

I poked around in the fridge until I found all the ingredients for fried chicken.

The popping and sizzling of the chicken in the pan was a nice, homey sound; I felt less nervous while it filled the silence.

It smelled so good that I started eating it right out of the pan, burning my tongue in the process. By the fifth or sixth bite, though, it had cooled enough for me to taste it. My chewing slowed. Was there something off about the flavor? I checked the meat, and it was white all the way through, but I wondered if it was completely done. I took another experimental bite; I chewed twice. Ugh; definitely bad. I jumped up to spit it into the sink. Suddenly, the chicken-and-oil smell was revolting. I took the whole plate and shook it into the garbage, then opened the windows to chase away the scent. A coolish breeze had picked up outside. It felt good on my skin.

I was abruptly exhausted, but I didn’t want to go back to the hot room. So I opened more windows in the TV room and lay on the couch right beneath them. I turned on the same movie we’d watched the other day and quickly fell asleep to the bright opening song.

When I opened my eyes again, the sun was halfway up the sky, but it was not the light that woke me. Cool arms were around me, pulling me against him. At the same time, a sudden pain twisted in my stomach, almost like the aftershock of catching a punch in the gut.

“I’m sorry,” Jake was murmuring as he wiped a wintry hand across my clammy forehead. “So much for thoroughness. I didn’t think ‘bout how hot ya’d be with me gone. I’ll get an air conditioner fitted ‘fore I leave ‘gain.”

I couldn’t concentrate on what he was saying. “Excuse me!” I gasped, struggling to get free of his arms.

He dropped his hold automatically. “Taylor?”

I streaked for the bathroom with my hand clamped over my mouth. I felt so horrible that I didn’t even care, at first, that he was with me while I crouched over the toilet and was violently sick.

“Taylor? What’s wrong?”

I couldn’t answer yet. He held me anxiously, stroking my back gently, waiting till I could breathe again.

“Damn rancid chicken,” I moaned.

“Ya alright?” His voice was strained.

“Fine,” I panted. “It’s just food poisoning. You don’t need to see this. Go away.”

“Not bloody likely, Taylor.”

“Go _away_ ,” I moaned again, struggling to get up so I could rinse my mouth out.

He helped me gently, ignoring the weak shoves I aimed at him. After my mouth was clean, he carried me to the bed and sat me down carefully, supporting me with his arms.

“Food poisonin’?”

“Yeah,” I croaked. “I made some chicken last night. It tasted off, so I threw it out. But I ate a few bites first.”

He put a cold hand on my forehead. It felt nice. “How d’ya feel now?”

I thought about that for a moment. The nausea had passed as suddenly as it had come, and I felt like I did any other morning. “Pretty normal. A little hungry… actually.”

He made me wait an hour and keep down a big glass of water before he fried me some eggs. I felt perfectly normal, just a little tired from being up in the middle of the night. He put on CNN, we’d been so out of touch, world war three could have broken out and we wouldn’t have known; and I lounged drowsily across his lap.

I got bored with the news and twisted around to kiss him. Just like this morning, a sharp pain hit my stomach when I moved. I lurched away from him, my hand tight over my mouth. I knew I’d never make it to the bathroom this time, so I ran to the kitchen sink.

He rubbed my back again.

“Maybe we oughta head back to thr mainland, see a doctor,” he suggested anxiously when I was rinsing my mouth afterward.

I shook my head and edged toward the hallway. Doctors meant needles. “I’ll be fine right after I brush my teeth.”

When my mouth tasted better, I searched through my suitcase for the little first aid kit Quinn had packed for me, full of human things like bandages and painkillers and; my object now, Pepto-Bismol. Maybe I could settle my stomach and calm Jake down.

But before I found the Pepto, I felt the glow in my belly begin to flare; and I frowned down at myself. That little flame usually only lit when I was... _preoccupied,_ with Jake.

I rubbed my hand over my stomach, and frowned again when I felt a small but defined bump sticking out between my hips. Had I really been eating _that_ much while we were here? 

I lurched to my feet. I’d never changed out of the little silk shorts I’d worn to bed. I yanked the green fabric out of the way and stared at my stomach. I wasn’t sure why I felt like this was such a big deal. So I happened to have a bit of added insulation right now; it was hardly surprising really, when I remembered the amount of eggs Jake had shown me I that had been through. But then, all the _exercise_ we’d been getting, surely should have burnt off any excess I would have been stuffing myself with.

I twisted my torso back and forth, examining it from every angle, as if it would disappear in exactly the right light. I ran my fingers over the subtle bulge, surprised by how rock hard it felt under my skin. “This… is definitely weird.” I finally murmured, shaking my head as I set my hand over my slightly distended stomach again.

Perhaps it was only coincidence that my eyes strayed to the magazine which was open on the counter, or perhaps it was divine intervention which made me look; a supernatural smack around the head to make me put the puzzle together and see the whole picture. Either way, it changed everything.

**Open your eyes!**

_Have your eating and sleeping habits changed?_

_Have you been prone to nausea, vivid dreams and sudden outbursts of emotion?_

_Honey, wake up and smell the diapers; 'cause you've got a bun in the oven!_

I couldn't make out what the article was even trying to say, the opening lines were all I could see. It was like the entire world stopped on it's axis for a full heartbeat, but within that heartbeat, was an eternity, where the world itself was turned upside down and inside out all in one. I gripped the edge of the counter, close to hyperventilating as I tried to push away the idea which began to gnaw at me. It was impossible; but, so were vampires and werewolves, and I hung out with both of those on a daily basis.

“Ya alright?” Jake asked through the door. “Did ya get sick ‘gain?”

“Um... no,” I said, but my voice sounded strangled. “Not... not sick again.”

I worked to try and suppress my potential freak out, shaking my head as I sucked in rapid breaths quickly. My eyes skimmed the article again, describing only too perfectly what I had been going through the past few days... weeks? "Oh god..." I whispered, shaking my head as I read through the list of smaller symptoms and signs, trying desperately to find something which didn't fit; which would allow me to laugh and brush the entire idea off as a moment of idiocy.

There was no such disclaimer.

“Taylor? Can I come in?” Worriedly now.

“O… kay?” I was too distracted to deny him.

He came in and appraised my position, standing by the counter; and my expression, blank and staring. He stood next to me in a flash, his hand going to my forehead at once.

“What’s wrong?”

“How long have we been here?” I whispered.

“Almost a month,” he answered automatically. “Taylor, what is it?”

I was frowning again. I held up a finger, cautioning him to wait, and mouthed random nonsense to myself. The idea continued to nibble at the edge of my thoughts, but it was so impossible; I was trying to pretend I hadn't even considered it.

“Taylor!” he whispered urgently. “I’m losin’ my goddamn mind over here.”

I tried to swallow. It didn’t work. So I shook my head, lowering my eyes to the floor. “I-” I frowned, sucking in a deep breath as my unwanted epiphany continued to build in my head.

“Taylor!” Jake stared at me in reproach and confusion. 

“Jake,” I managed to choke out. “Um, well… you know, how things, _impossible_ things; always seem to happen to us?”

“Whaddaya mean?” Jake asked, shaking his head as his eyes became guarded. “Taylor, wha-”

“Jake…” I whispered, my mouth dry as I looked at him shyly. “Jake, I don’t understand how… or why, but… I think-” I blinked, exhaling a deep breath as I ran my fingers over my faintly distended stomach. “I think… that f-future you wanted for me? W-with k-kids..? I-I think, that might be…”

"Taylor, ya ain't makin' any sense..."

"Jake, how many times have we come across things that _shouldn't_ happen but _do?"_ I asked, biting my lip as I looked up at him. "How many times has the impossible happened to us? To _me?_ I think... I think the impossible, just happened again." I said, taking his hand and laying it softly over the small distention on my belly.

Jake blinked, looking down with a small frown, clearly realising no such bump had been there the last time he'd touched it; just the night before. "I don't-"

"Jake," I said slowly, licking my lips as I clutched his hands in mine. "I think we McKenzie's might be about to go from a duo to a... a trio." I explained.

His facial expression didn’t change. It was like I hadn’t spoken.

“Jake, I don’t think I have food poisoning...” I added in a whisper, as even I struggled to process the facts.

Jake didn’t respond. He had turned into a sculpture.

“The dreams,” I mumbled to myself in a flat voice. “Sleeping so much… the crying. All that food. Oh. Oh. _Oh_.”

Jake’s stare seemed glassy, as if he couldn’t see me anymore.

Reflexively, almost involuntarily, my hand dropped again to my stomach.

“Oh!” I squeaked again. I slipped out of Jake’s unmoving hands, moving over to the mirror slowly. “Impossible,” I whispered.

I had absolutely no experience with pregnancy or babies or any part of that world; I was a gay man, what the hell did I need to worry about? But still, I wasn’t an idiot. I’d seen enough movies and TV shows to know that this wasn’t how it worked even for regular women who were actually _designed_ to have kids. I was not; I was a man. This was twice as impossible... and twice the miracle. 

Even judging by regular, female standards; if I _was_ pregnant, my body shouldn’t even have registered that fact. I would not have morning sickness. I would not have changed my eating or sleeping habits.

And I most definitely would not have that small but defined bump sticking out between my hips.

“Impossible,” I said again, because; bulge or no bulge, there was no way _I_ could be pregnant. I was a _man._ And even if that _weren’t_ enough reason, the only person I’d ever had sex with was a _vampire,_ for crying out loud.

A vampire who was still frozen, with no sign of ever moving again. So there had to be some other explanation, then. Something wrong with me. A strange disease with all the signs of pregnancy, only accelerated…

And then I remembered something; a morning of internet research that seemed a lifetime ago now. Sitting at the old desk in my room at Scott’s house with gray light glowing dully through the window, staring at my ancient, wheezing computer, reading avidly through a web-site called “Vampires A–Z.” It had been less than twenty-four hours since Diego Soto, trying to entertain me with the Taino legends he didn’t believe in yet, had told me that Jake was a vampire. I’d scanned anxiously through the first entries on the site, which was dedicated to vampire myths around the world. 

I’d paid less and less attention as the stories had grown more and more implausible. I only remembered vague bits of the later entries. They mostly seemed like excuses dreamed up to explain things like infant mortality rates; and infidelity. ‘No, honey, I’m not having an affair! That sexy woman you saw sneaking out of the house was an evil succubus. I’m lucky I escaped with my life!’ Of course, having met Yvonne since then, I was willing to allow several of those stories some leniency; as I now had a sneaking suspicion where they'd originated from.

There had been one for the ladies, too. ‘How can you accuse me of cheating on you; just because you’ve come home from a two-year sea voyage and I’m pregnant? It was the incubus. He hypnotised me with his mystical vampire powers…’

That had been part of the definition of the incubus; the ability to father children with his hapless prey. And they were rumoured to be bisexual in some beliefs.

I shook my head, dazed. But…

I thought of Zahra. Vampires couldn’t have children. If it were possible, she would have found a way by now. The incubus myth was nothing but a fable.

Except that… well, there was a difference. Of course Zahra could not conceive a child, because she was a woman; frozen in the state in which she passed from human to inhuman. Totally unchanging. And human women’s bodies _had_ to change to bear children. The constant change of a monthly cycle for one thing, and then the bigger changes needed to accommodate a growing child. Zahra’s body couldn’t change.

But mine could. Mine _did._ I touched the bump on my stomach that had not been there yesterday.

And human men; well, we pretty much stayed the same from puberty to death. Usually without ever showing signs of something growing within them, but we were all well aware of how different I had already proven myself to other _normal_ humans by now.

I remembered a random bit of trivia, gleaned from who knows where: Scott Chaplin was in his seventies when he fathered his youngest child. Men had no such thing as child-bearing years or cycles of fertility.

But they _were_ supposed to be limited by basic anatomy.

Of course, how would anyone know if vampire men could father children, when their partners were not able? What vampire on earth would have the restraint necessary to test the theory with a human? Or the inclination?

I could think of only one.

Part of my head was sorting through fact and memory and speculation, while the other half, the part that controlled the ability to move even the smallest muscles; was stunned beyond the capacity for normal operations. I couldn’t move my lips to speak, though I wanted to ask Jake to please explain to me what was going on. I needed to go back to where he stood, to touch him, but my body wouldn’t follow instructions. I could only stare at my shocked eyes in the mirror, my fingers gingerly pressed against the swelling on my torso.

And then, like in my vivid nightmare last night, the scene abruptly transformed.

Everything I saw in the mirror looked completely different, though nothing actually was different.

What happened to change everything was that a soft little nudge bumped my hand; from _inside_ my body. “ _Oh…_ ” I breathed, and suddenly, my eyes were alight with a hope, life and love which I had never anticipated.

In the same moment, Jake’s phone rang, shrill and demanding. Neither of us moved. It rang again and again. I tried to tune it out while I pressed my fingers to my stomach, waiting. In the mirror my expression was no longer bewildered; it was wondering now. I barely noticed when the strange, silent tears started streaming down my cheeks.

The phone kept ringing. I wished Jake would answer it. I was having a moment, godammit. Possibly the biggest of my pitiful, human life.

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

Finally, the annoyance broke through everything else. I stalked over to Jake, I found myself moving more carefully, a thousand times more aware of the way each motion felt; and patted his pockets until I found the phone. I half-expected him to thaw out and answer it himself, but he was perfectly still.

I recognized the number, and I could easily guess why she was calling.

“Hi, Quinn,” I said. My voice wasn’t much better than before. I cleared my throat.

“Taylor? Taylor, are you okay?”

“Yeah. Um. Is Mike there?”

“He is. What’s the problem?”

“I’m not… one hundred percent… sure. . . .”

“Is Jake all right?” she asked warily. She called Mike’s name away from the phone and then demanded, “Why didn’t he pick up the phone?” before I could answer her first question.

“Um... I’m not sure.”

“Taylor, what’s going on? I just saw—”

“What did you see?”

There was a silence. “Here’s Mike,” she finally said.

It felt like ice water had been injected in my veins. If Quinn had seen a vision of me with a blue-eyed, angel-faced child in my arms, she would have answered me... wouldn’t she?

While I waited through the split second it took for Mike to speak, the vision I’d imagined for Quinn danced behind my lids. A tiny, beautiful little baby, even more beautiful than the boy in my dream; a tiny Jake in my arms. Warmth shot through my veins, chasing the ice away.

“Taylor, ’s Mike. What’s goin' on?”

“I—” I wasn’t sure how to answer. Would he laugh at my conclusions, tell me I was crazy? Was I just having another colourful dream? “I’m a little worried about Jake.… Can vampires go into shock?”

“‘S he been hurt?” Mike’s voice was suddenly urgent.

“No, no,” I assured him. “Just… taken by surprise.”

“I ain’t followin’ ya, Taylor.”

“I think… well, I think that… maybe… I might be a little bit...” I took a deep breath. “Pregnant.”

As if to back me up, there was another tiny nudge in my abdomen. My hand flew to my stomach.

Mike laughed. “Heh, ya got quite the sense of humour, Kid.” He snorted. “Ya had me goin’ for a minute there… so I take it ya honeymoon been treatin' ya pretty-”

“Mike,” I said, biting my lip as I looked down at my hand on my stomach. “I’m serious… I think, I really am-”

“Kid, that ain’t possible.” Mike snorted, and I could practically hear him rolling his eyes at me. “Ya ain’t equipped for that, last I checked.”

“Mike… _please,”_ I pleaded, a sigh escaping me as I rubbed my lightly swollen belly. “Please, believe me.”

After a long pause, Mike’s medical training kicked in. It was entirely possible he was just humouring me, of course, but it was a relief nonetheless.

“How d’ya feel?”

“Weird,” I told him, and my voice broke. Another trickle of tears dribbled down my cheeks. “This is going to sound crazy… look, I know; even by _normal_ standards, it’s way too early for any of this. Maybe I am crazy. But I’m having bizarre dreams and eating all the time and crying and throwing up and… and… I swear something moved inside me just now.”

Jake’s head snapped up.

I sighed in relief.

Jake held his hand out for the phone, his face white and hard.

“Um, I think Jake wants to talk to you.”

“Put him on,” Mike said in a strained voice.

Not entirely sure that Jake could talk, I put the phone in his outstretched

Hand. He pressed it to his ear. “‘S it possible?” he whispered.

He listened for a long time, staring blankly at nothing.

“And Taylor?” he asked. His arm wrapped around me as he spoke, pulling me close into his side. He listened for what seemed like a long time and then said, “Yeah. Yeah... I will.” He pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed the “end” button. Right away, he dialled a new number.

“What did Mike say?” I asked impatiently.

Jake answered in a lifeless voice. “He thinks ya pregnant.”

The words sent a warm shiver down my spine. The little nudger fluttered inside me. “Who are you calling now?” I asked as he put the phone back to his ear.

“The airport. We’re goin’ home.”

Jake was on the phone for more than an hour without a break. I guessed that he was arranging our flight home, but I couldn’t be sure because he wasn’t speaking English. It sounded like he was arguing; he spoke through his teeth a lot.

While he argued, he packed. He whirled around the room like an angry tornado, leaving order rather than destruction in his path. He threw a set of my clothes on the bed without looking at them, so I assumed it was time for me to get dressed.

He continued with his argument while I changed, gesturing with sudden, agitated movements.

When I could no longer bear the violent energy radiating out of him, I quietly left the room. His manic concentration made me sick to my stomach; not like the morning sickness, just uncomfortable. I would wait somewhere else for his mood to pass. I couldn’t talk to this icy, focused Jake who honestly, frightened me a little.

Once again, I ended up in the kitchen. There was a bag of pretzels in the cupboard. I started chewing on them absently, staring out the window at the sand and rocks and trees and ocean, everything glittering in the sun.

Someone nudged me.

“I know,” I said. “I don’t want to go, either.”

I stared out the window for a moment, but the nudger didn’t respond.

“I don’t understand,” I whispered. “What’s wrong here?”

Besides the fact that I was a guy, that I’d had no expectations for this development in my life and that it was a physical impossibility? I mean, I’d just married a vampire… why was this such a big deal in comparison?

Surprising, absolutely. Astonishing, even. But wrong?

No. I didn’t feel that… I should be the one freaking out over this new being, growing inside me, but I wasn’t. I was calm, I was… I was happy.

So why was Jake so furious? He was the one who had actually wished out loud for a shotgun wedding. I’d been the one to scoff and laugh.

I tried to reason through it.

Maybe it wasn’t so confusing that Jake wanted us to go home right away. He’d want Mike to check me out, make sure my assumption was right; though there was absolutely no doubt in my head at this point. Probably they’d want to figure out why I was already _so_ pregnant, with the bump and the nudging and all of that. That wasn’t normal.

Once I thought of this, I was sure I had it. He must be so worried about the baby.

I hadn’t gotten around to freaking out. A moment of disbelief, sure, shaken by the impossibility, but I was okay now; I knew what I wanted.

My brain worked differently than his; it was still stuck marvelling over the picture it had conjured up before. The tiny child with Jake’s eyes; gorgeous liquid cerulean, lying fair and beautiful in my arms. I hoped he would have Jake’s face exactly, with no interference from mine.

It was funny how abruptly and entirely necessary this vision had become. From that first little touch, my whole world had shifted. Where before there was just one thing I could not live without, now there were two. There was no division; my love was not split between them now; it wasn’t like that. It was more like my heart had grown, swollen up to twice its size in that moment. All that extra space, already filled. The increase was almost dizzying.

I’d never really understood Zahra’s pain and resentment before. I’d never imagined myself a parent, never wanted that. I was gay, adoption had always been the way I would have to go for that sort of thing. It had been a piece of cake to promise Jake that it didn’t matter if we adopted or froze sperm. Children, in the abstract, had never appealed to me. They seemed to be loud creatures, often dripping some form of goo. I’d never had much to do with them. 

I’d always been relieved that Julia had both me and Jordan together, so I didn’t have to worry about looking after him, well; past the general sense of trying to keep him from being too outrageous.

This child, _Jake’s_ child, was a whole different story.

I wanted him like I wanted air to breathe. Not a choice; a necessity.

Maybe I just had a really bad imagination. Maybe that was why I’d been unable to see that I would want a baby until after one was already coming, although certainly, I never would have imagined it to happen in quite this way… there again, the only reason I wanted _this_ baby so completely, was because it was Jake's baby. That I could give him this, something he'd never anticipated; that we could make this miracle, this tiny _life_ together. 

As I put my hand on my stomach, waiting for the next nudge, tears streaked down my cheeks again.

“Taylor?”

I turned, made wary by the tone of his voice. It was too cold, too careful. His face matched his voice, empty and hard. And then he saw that I was crying.

“Taylor!” He crossed the room in a flash and put his hands on my face. “Are ya in pain?”

“No, no—”

He pulled me against his chest. “Don’t be ‘fraid. We’ll be home in sixteen hours. Ya gonna be fine. Mike’ll be ready when we get there. We’ll take care of this, an’ ya gonna be fine… ya gonna be fine.”

“Take care of this?” I frowned, looking up at him uncertainly. “What do you mean?”

He leaned away and looked me in the eye. “We’re gonna get that thing out ‘fore it can hurt any part of ya. Don’t be scared. I ain’t gonna let it hurt ya.”

“That thing?” I blinked.

He looked sharply away from me, toward the front door. “Dammit! I forgot the cleaners're due today. I’ll get rid of ‘em an’ be right back.” He darted out of the room.

I clutched the counter for support. My knees were wobbly.

Jake had just called my little nudger, our little miracle... a _thing._ He said Mike would get it out.

“No,” I whispered.

I’d gotten it wrong before. He didn’t care about the baby at all. He wanted to _hurt_ him. Our little miracle. The beautiful picture in my head shifted abruptly, changed into something dark. My pretty baby crying, my weak arms not enough to protect him… 

What could I do? Would I be able to reason with them? What if I couldn’t? Did this explain Quinn’s strange silence on the phone? Is that what she’d seen? Jake and Mike killing that pale, perfect child before he could live?

 _“No,”_ I whispered again, my voice stronger. That could not be. I would not allow it.

I heard Jake speaking some foreign language again. Arguing again. His voice got closer, and I heard him grunt in exasperation. Then I heard another voice, low and timid. A woman’s voice.

He came into the kitchen ahead of her and went straight to me. He wiped the tears from my cheeks and murmured in my ear through the thin, hard line of his lips.

“She’s insistin’ on leavin’ the damn food she brought, she made us dinner.” If he had been less tense, less furious, I knew he would have rolled his eyes. “‘S an excuse, she wants to make sure I ain’t killed ya yet.” His voice went ice cold at the end.

The cleaning woman edged nervously around the corner with a covered dish in her hands. I wished I could speak whatever language she spoke, or that my lingual skills were at least less rudimentary, so that I could try to thank this woman who had dared to anger a vampire just to check on me.

Her eyes flickered between the two of us. I saw her measuring the colour in my face, the moisture in my eyes. Mumbling something I didn’t understand, she put the dish on the counter.

Jake snapped something at her; I’d never heard him be so impolite before. She turned to go, and the whirling motion of her long skirt wafted the smell of the food into my face. It was strong; onions and fish. I gagged and whirled for the sink. I felt Jake’s hands on my forehead and heard his soothing murmur through the roaring in my ears. His hands disappeared for a second, and I heard the refrigerator slam shut. Mercifully, the smell disappeared with the sound, and Jake’s hands were cooling my clammy face again. It was over quickly.

I rinsed my mouth in the tap while he caressed the side of my face.

There was a tentative little nudge in my womb.

 _It’s okay… you can’t help it. We’re okay,_ I thought toward the bump.

Jake turned me around, pulling me into his arms. I rested my head on his shoulder. My hands, instinctively, folded over my stomach.

I heard a little gasp and I looked up.

The woman was still there, hesitating in the doorway with her hands half outstretched as if she had been looking for some way to help. Her eyes were locked on my hands, popping wide with shock. Her mouth hung open.

Then Jake gasped, too, and he suddenly turned to face the woman, pushing me slightly behind his body. His arm wrapped across my torso, like he was holding me back.

Suddenly, she was shouting at him; loudly, furiously, her unintelligible words flying across the room like knives. She raised her tiny fist in the air and took two steps forward, shaking it at him. Despite her ferocity, it was easy to see the terror in her eyes.

Jake stepped toward her, too, and I clutched at his arm, frightened for the woman. But when he interrupted her tirade, his voice took me by surprise, especially considering how sharp he’d been with her when she wasn’t screeching at him. It was low now; it was pleading. Not only that, but the sound was different, more guttural, the cadence off. I didn’t think he was speaking the same strange language anymore.

For a moment, the woman stared at him in wonder, and then her eyes narrowed as she barked out a long question in the same alien tongue.

I watched as his face grew sad and serious, and he nodded once. She took a quick step back and crossed herself.

He reached out to her, gesturing toward me and then resting his hand against my cheek. She replied angrily again, waving her hands accusingly toward him, and then gestured to him. When she finished, he pleaded again with the same low, urgent voice.

Her expression changed; she stared at him with doubt plain on her face as he spoke, her eyes repeatedly flashing to my confused face. He stopped speaking, and she seemed to be deliberating something. She looked back and forth between the two of us, and then, unconsciously it seemed, took a step forward.

She made a motion with her hands, miming a shape like a balloon jutting out from her stomach. I started; did her legends of the predatory demons include this? Could she possibly know something about what was growing inside me?

She walked a few steps forward deliberately this time and asked a few brief questions, which he responded to tensely. Then he became the questioner; one quick query. She hesitated and then slowly shook her head. When he spoke again, his voice was so agonised that I looked up at him in shock. His face was drawn with pain.

In answer, she walked slowly forward until she was close enough to lay her small hand on top of mine, over my stomach. She spoke one word in what I thought sounded like Portuguese; but I didn't particularly care at this point.

“ _Morte_ ,” she sighed quietly. Then she turned, her shoulders bent as if the conversation had aged her, and left the room.

I knew enough to hazard a guess at that one.

Jake was frozen again, staring after her with the tortured expression fixed on his face. A few moments later, I heard a boat’s engine putter to life and then fade into the distance.

Jake did not move until I started for the bathroom. Then his hand caught my shoulder.

“Where’re ya goin’?” His voice was a whisper of pain.

“To brush my teeth again.”

“Don’t worry ‘bout what she said. Ain’t nothin’ but legends, old lies for sake of entertainment.”

“I didn’t understand anything,” I told him, though it wasn’t entirely true. As if I could discount something because it was a legend. My life was circled by legend on every side. They were all true.

I wasn’t scared of yet another threat to my human life… I was only concerned about if my little miracle would be okay.

“I packed ya toothbrush. I’ll get it for ya” He walked ahead of me to the bedroom.

“Are we leaving soon?” I called after him.

“Soon as ya done.”

He waited for my toothbrush to repack it, pacing silently around the bedroom. I handed it to him when I was finished.

“I’ll get the bags in the boat.”

“Jake—”

He turned back. “Yeah?”

I hesitated, trying to think of some way to get a few seconds alone. “Could you… pack some of the food? You know, in case I get hungry again.”

“‘Course,” he said, his eyes suddenly soft. “Don’t worry ‘bout nothin’. We’ll get to Mike in just a few hours, ‘kay? This’ll be over real soon.”

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

He turned and left the room, one big suitcase in each hand.

I whirled and scooped up my phone, which he’d left on the counter. It was very unlike him to forget things; to forget that the cleaner was coming, to leave my phone lying here. He was so stressed he was barely himself.

I turned it on and quickly scrolled through the saved numbers. I was glad I’d put it on silent, afraid that he would catch me. Would he be at the boat now? Or back already? Would he hear me from the kitchen if I whispered?

I found the number I wanted, one I had never called before in my life. I pressed the “call” button and crossed my fingers.

“Hello?” the voice was already suspicious when it answered.

“Zahra?” I whispered. “It’s Taylor. Please… please you have to help me.”


	8. Waiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry this is a day late  
> things not been so good
> 
> hope you all enjoy
> 
> x Our love to you all x

**DIEGO SOTO**

**Waiting**

The silence was stifling, but it wasn’t as if I weren’t used to it by now. I’d spent three months lost and alone inside my own head, with only Sean’s acidic thoughts for company on occasion.

I sighed, thinking back on all the orders, all the hatred he’d tried to infuse in me. All the regret which I’d felt, for ever having been so stubborn. I never should have left that day, just like Mike said.

But it was too late for regret now, the damage was done.

I sniffed the air, tasting the scents on the breeze carefully. There was no hint of Sean or the pack anywhere nearby. With a snort I turned around and ran along the perimeter line I'd established around the Darwin's home.

It was comforting, in a way. Being able to run freely without the constant fear in the back of my mind, the inability to control myself. 

Sean's constant interference had been terrifying, painful even. I'd had no way to know if he was being honest or not. No way to tell if Taylor really hated me for abandoning him, right before his wedding. No way to tell if Mike were looking for me or not, though I always suspected he was; and hoped that he wasn’t. I didn’t want him to be miserable because of me.

As a rule, I tended to believe that anything Sean said was bullshit… but after so long, doubt crept in. And that had been his chance. A too calm order, to strike before the offence was committed. To remove Taylor from the equation, before he was bitten. Without Taylor turning; there would be no threat to the treaty.

It was ridiculous, of course, if anyone hurt Taylor; all the Darwin's would have retaliated, as would I… before Sean got his claws into me.

I sighed, slowing to a trot as I glanced around the area, hesitating and sniffing at the ground as I passed. Still nothing but my own scent. Good.

Back then, at the wedding, I'd been so relieved to see Taylor and Jake; they were so happy, so in love. I was pleased I got to see them on their big day, even if I was late; and there for such an ominous reason.

I'd never wanted Jake to be able to read my mind so much as right then. I wished more than anything that he could just… _understand_. But then he was leaving to tell Mike I was back, and my heart felt like it was a solid rock, plummeting to my stomach.

But I was relieved, when I was left with Taylor; and he didn't hate me. Of course, he didn't fear me either, which was annoying. 

I snorted, shaking my head and pawing the ground briefly, before continuing on my way around the perimeter.

And then of course he'd been reassuring me. Reminding me that I had not been born to kneel to the likes of Sean bloody Gayle.

I'd been terrified when _he_ turned up as well, even though I'd known he would. To give the order to kill, to end the peace that reigned between us supernatural beings; not that he saw it that way, of course. In his mind, the treaty was already long since void; even though it was Taylor's choice to take the step into immortality.

The pressure had grown too much, though. I couldn't fight it anymore. Sean's order had ripped through me and I'd phased; on the edge of fulfilling it. Tom had phased too, and joined me in my head, and for a half a heartbeat I knew relief; because _finally_ , someone else knew what I knew. They knew what I felt and what had happened to me during my forced exile. Tom had been horrified, but quickly subdued when Sean phased too.

And then _he_ was there.

And Sean's old orders were battling with the new, colliding within me like striking cobras. He'd told me if I ever saw him again, I was to destroy him; but that wasn't what I wanted. I didn't want to hurt anyone, not my friends, not my family… not my lover.

Mike, goddamn dumbass that he is, taunted him. Psychopathic werewolf who wants him dead, and he just stands there… ready to die.

I whined quietly at the memory, my pace slowing as I remembered the split second of raw panic, before Taylor's words came back to me.

The bonds fell off my body the second that I embraced my birthright. I felt it gathering in me, both a relief and also a strange, hollow power. Hollow because an Alpha’s power came from his pack, and I had no pack. For a second, loneliness overwhelmed me. I had no pack anymore. But then the freedom came; the freedom to stop Sean's attack, to drive him away from this place where we all lived in peace.

 _You would choose them, over your own?_ Sean had demanded, throwing useless orders at me. They couldn't touch me now.

 _They've done no wrong. They're not our enemy, Sean._ I tried to explain, to show the kindness and love which each one of the Darwin's possessed; a gentleness which I had witnessed for myself while I lived with them.

 _Diego…_ Tom's thoughts were sorrowful, yet comforting. He hated what had transpired, and his sympathy was touching. That he could look past the differences and see them as people; it made me realise just how much Taylor really had appreciated my efforts to understand them.

 _You're a traitor to your people._ Sean snarled viciously. _You would destroy the pack? For them?!_

 _I'm not destroying anything. I'm simply choosing my own path._ I said firmly. _You've let the power of the Alpha go to your head, let yourself be blinded by old stories which have no place in this one. My future lies with them now, not you… and you've only yourself to blame._ I stood before Mike protectively, growling back at Sean across the clearing. _I won't let you hurt them. Not now; and not after Taylor is one of them._

Sean had growled, before wheeling away into the forest.

Part of me had wanted to stay, to remain with Mike and phase back so we could talk, hell, part of me had wanted to skip the talking altogether… but a larger part of me was a coward.

So I left, chasing after Sean to make sure he didn't try to circle round and attack while we weren't expecting it.

I followed him as far as the river; and then held my ground. _This is their land!_ I yelled after him. _You are not welcome here!_

I snorted and shook out my fur, pacing along the borderline I'd set. On impulse I marked the largest tree near me. I was sure Jake would get a kick out of that when he and Taylor got back.

Tom had caught up then. _Dude,_ he'd whined as he approached me. _You're really..?_

 _I wasn't happy in the pack anyway, even before I stopped phasing, Tom. You all knew it… I never fit in._ I thought back.

 _Yeah but, this is…_ Tom pawed the ground uneasily. _This is pretty weird man, you gotta admit._

 _Heh, tell me something I don't know…_ I huffed, shaking myself again. _But, it feels right._

Tom was quiet for a long pause, and then he coughed a quiet laugh. _Well hell, I imprinted on a kid… who am I to judge you falling for a blo- for Doctor Darwin?_

Gratitude washed through me and I nodded my head toward him. _Thanks._ I thought. _You might wanna phase before you head home… if I know Sean, he'll be ordering you to keep your mouth shut real soon. If you plan on being able to tell anyone the truth, well… as a human, he's gotta find you first._

Tom nodded thoughtfully. _The council should be informed._ He thought, followed by a sigh of exasperation. _Well, if you hear about a streaker in the papers tomorrow…_

 _I'll know who it was._ I laughed quietly. Laughing felt so strange; I'd had no reason to laugh since I left my father's house, three months ago.

I sighed, shaking myself out of the memory as I turned and paced along my boundary line.

I hadn't spent an awful lot of time as a human since. Some could call it dedication to my cause; but I knew it was cowardice. I was afraid to face _him_ , to admit I was wrong. It hurt to stay away from him, but after so long with the order to kill him hanging over me, well, I wasn't prepared to push it too soon.

This was the ideal chance to talk to him really, before Taylor and Jake got back from their honeymoon. I'd have to defend this place constantly then, to make sure they were all safe; this family I'd made for myself… if I were still allowed to call them that.

I trotted along my line, content when I noticed no breaches in what I had claimed for my, or rather the Darwin's, territory.

With my latest patrol finished, I headed back to the area I'd been using as a sort of den. I threw myself down on the makeshift bed of leaves and down. I was tired, hadn’t been sleeping well in my concern, and I knew I wasn’t going to sleep now either. My head was too crazy. The thoughts bounced around inside my skull like a disoriented swarm of bees. Noisy. Now and then they stung. Must be hornets, not bees. Bees died after one sting. And the same thoughts were stinging me again and again.

This waiting was driving me insane. It had been almost four weeks. I’d expected they would be busy on their honeymoon, but I thought they would have called once or twice; let us know when they were coming back, let us know when we had to get serious about defence.

I sighed and tried to listen to the sounds around me as a distraction, the wind in the trees. It wasn’t the same, through wolf ears. There were a million voices in the wind that I couldn’t hear in a human body.

I could also hear voices, from within the house at the centre of my territory. Calm, quiet voices. Soothing voices. I listened to them murmur softly, and my nerves eased, allowing me to slip into a light doze. 

I never quite got over how gentle they really were, for being so solid like rocks. I whined at the flash of memory, reminding me that they were very much different from rocks.

I was listening so hard that the sudden call of a voice nearby made me jump half off my makeshift bed. I was on my feet another split second later, a warning growl slipping through my bared teeth.

 _"_ Yo, I come in peace, dude… Tom's call made me roll my eyes and sit down on my haunches. "Don't know if you can hear me… just, came to talk." He called.

Only Tom could be so considerate and such a dipstick at the same time. I flicked my tail in irritation. I didn't really want to phase back, it meant it would take that much longer to defend my line, if this were a distraction.

"He's not here… doesn't even know I came!" Tom called again, as if sensing where my thoughts lay. I huffed a frustrated sigh.

With great reluctance, I phased myself into human form, picking up the jeans which Craig had brought me a few days ago. They were damp, but I wouldn't need to wear them for long. Once they were on, I followed the familiar voice I’d heard and found Tom easy enough. He was waiting by the edge of my borderline, peeking through the trees to try and spot me.

"Over here, Sato." I called, raising a hand. It was weird talking again, I should phase more so I don't forget how.

"Diego! Hey, it's good to see you man!" He said, smiling brightly as I made my way over. "Hope you don't mind and all, I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"No, I guess it's fine." I said, stopping just before my line; leaving a clear, large gap between us. "Did you want something?"

"Not really, just… wanted to see how-"

"How I was doing, yeah you said." I rolled my eyes and folded my arms over my chest. "Well, I'm fine, as you can see…" I said, glancing around the woodland behind him distrustfully. "Is there anything else?"

"Aw, c'mon, Diego…" Tom whined. "Don't be like that, man, you know I support you about all this." He said, gesturing towards the house hidden in the trees behind me. "And I mean, you know, _all_ of it." He added pointedly.

"Gee, Tom, say it a little louder; I don't think they heard you at the house." I snorted, running my hand through my hair. I glanced behind me, half expecting one of the Darwin's, or worse _him,_ to be coming to join us. 

"Kinda pointless being shy about it now," Tom laughed, tapping his forehead briefly. "I've seen it all after all." He made a face, and I couldn't help but laugh even as I blushed.

"Yeah, well…" I coughed, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly. "Wasn't exactly my intention for you to see that… but, well, things are uh, complicated now."

"Why?" Tom asked, frowning at me with such open curiosity and confusion that I was taken aback.

"Well… b-because-" I stammered, as Tom raised a brow.

"Dude, I just spent the morning playing with a three year old…" he said slowly. "Complicated is kind of second nature to us now, I think. We just have to make the best of it." He said, shrugging his shoulder dismissively.

I frowned, shifting uncomfortably at the insinuation that things could be so simple. I knew deep down that they probably were. "Three, huh?" I said, indiscreetly changing the subject. "Damn, guess I missed the big day, then?"

“Yeah,” Tom sighed. “She had a princess theme party. She made me wear a crown, and then Estela suggested they all try out her new play makeup on me.”

“Wow, I’m really sorry I wasn’t around to see that.”

“Don’t worry, Estela has pictures… I'll bring them over sometime." He said lightly. "Actually, I look pretty hot.”

“Dude, you are such a dork.” I laughed.

Tom shrugged, folding his arms across his chest as he leaned against a tree and grinned at me. “Andrea had a great time. That was the point.”

I rolled my eyes. It was hard being around imprinted people. No matter what stage they were in; about to tie the knot like Sean or just a much-abused nanny like Tom, the peace and certainty they always radiated was downright puke inducing. I knew it was crazy, but Tom always had just as much fun as Andrea did. I’d once seen Tom play peekaboo for an hour straight without getting bored.

And I couldn’t even make fun of him for it. I envied him too much.

I missed that I had once felt so peaceful, before my enforced 'vacation'. I hated that I didn’t know if I would ever be brave enough to reclaim it.

"Don't pretend you wouldn't let your dear doctor man, do whatever the hell he wanted to you." Tom said knowingly, as I coughed and pointedly avoided answering.

I knew it was true, that if Mike and I didn't have this ocean of unspoken awkwardness between us, I'd be only too happy to do dumb, senseless crap; like his stupid collar joke. I’d have humoured him and let him get it on me at least.

But that was before I disappeared, right after confessing my feelings for him, and he for me. It was a little hard to figure out just where the hell my apology had to start from, before I could start trying to win him back.

"Seriously, Diego, what's holding you back exactly?" Tom sighed, rolling his eyes. "You already did the tango for two, you left the pack for him… what, are you gonna offer him your blood next?" 

I scowled at him. "Har har." I growled.

"Oh, heh, I didn't think of it like that." Tom snorted, biting his lip guiltily. "Sorry, that was probably more dickish than it was meant to be. I meant more like, ya know, written letter _signed_ in blood, kinda thing…"

"And that's… better?" I asked, raising both brows as I tried to fight a grin.

"Well, yeah." Tom said, tipping his shoulder lightly as he snickered.

I rolled my eyes. "Dude," I laughed, stepping forward and grinning as I offered my hand. "It's good to see you." I admitted, as he grinned back and slapped his palm into mine. "But seriously, _what_ are you _doing_ here? Surely Sean's given you all orders to steer clear, unless for the attack?" 

Tom's expression flickered, and he sighed. "He did, yeah." He admitted, squeezing my hand briefly when I tensed. "But, his orders aren't quite… so potent, as they used to be."

I frowned, confused by his confession.

"He ordered me to stay away… and I chose to ignore him." Tom explained, as I blinked in surprise. 

"That… shouldn't be possible." I said slowly.

"I know." Tom nodded seriously. "I thought you ought to know… I think it comes from what he did to you." He explained.

"Abuse the power and the power leaves you?" I mused thoughtfully. "Huh, that's like… next level superhero consequences." I huffed. "But, I suppose it makes sense. There had to be some sort of fallback from that kind of override…"

"I wanted to come and tell you myself." Tom said, shrugging in such a way that I wasn't entirely sure I wasn't missing something. "Before anyone else came and started hurling accusations… considering, they won't know everything." He said, tapping his forehead again.

I laughed quietly, looking into the distant woodland. "You say that like it matters to me, what they think." I said, glancing back at him with a grin.

"Aw, c'mon…" Tom teased. "You know you don't hate everyone." He scoffed, as I rolled my eyes. "What, you still sore about Andy, imprinting on your sister?" 

I grimaced, sighing as I wrinkled my nose. Stupid myth was supposed to be rare, for crying out loud! "Of all the people he could have imprinted on, it had to be my damn sister." I mumbled, shaking my head in mild frustration.

The few times I had been human lately had been to either talk with Craig, Quinn or my dad, when he stopped by to update me on his week. Two weeks ago he'd told me that my sister Selma was coming home from Washington State at the end of the summer semester, graduated early, the nerd; I hadn't initially been that bothered. 

I had a new home now, how likely was I to see her anyway? It's not like I could go back to Hartfeld now and say hey, and she sure as hell wasn't going to come looking for me. We weren't _that_ close.

Even so, it made me think about all those who did have to worry about how to 'keep the secret'. I was even more sympathetic to those in the pack like Julian, whose parents didn't know they were werewolves. Julian's mom thought he was going through some kind of rebellious stage. He was permanently grounded for constantly sneaking out, but, of course, there wasn't much he could do about that. She'd check his room every night, and every night it would be empty again. She'd yell and he'd take it in silence, and then go through it all again the next day. We'd all tried to talk Sean at one point, trying to persuade him into giving Julian a break and letting his mom in on the gig, but who persuaded Sean Gayle of anything he didn't wanna do for himself? In the end, Julian had just dismissed all our efforts, and said he didn't mind. 

The secret was too important.

I was pleased I wouldn't need to worry about all that. My sister was coming for a visit, and would probably be gone again before she even noticed she hadn't seen me.

Last time Ricardo had visited; she'd been with him. Turns out she and Andy had met two days after she got home, walking at the beach. And that was it. 

No secrets necessary when you found your other half, and all that imprinting werewolf garbage.

Selma got the whole story. And I got Andy bloody Kang as a brother-in-law someday. I knew Ricardo wasn't much thrilled about it, either, considering Andy mostly lounged around in his house now, waiting for Selma to come home like the good puppy he was. I didn't want to think about whether he actually wagged his tail for her.

"Hey, it could be worse man." Tom laughed, as I shook my head forlornly. "Hey, imagine if it was Sean-"

"I'd have killed him." I bit the words out before I'd even thought them, my hands curling into tight fists at my sides. "Uh," I bit my lip guiltily, looking away as I tried to get a grip on myself.

"Hey dude, I get it." Tom said, raising his palms towards me in placation. "After everything, well… I think you're more than entitled to feel that way, man. I just wish I could explain it all to the pack, so they understood. I think the only one not foaming at the mouth, besides me of course, is Miles."

"Kid wants to keep his head down, and stay off Sean's radar." I sighed. "He's gonna get himself a whole lot of orders weighing him down otherwise."

“I’m trying to help him.” Tom said, lifting his shoulders helplessly. “But he’s got a big mouth like you, so that’s not exactly helping matters. He keeps trying to defend the Darwin’s and I don’t think Sean’s gonna take it much longer.”

I grimaced, imagining Sean’s fury at Miles’ determined ramblings about friendship with the Darwin’s. “I don’t get what made Sean lose it so bad…” I murmured, narrowing my eyes into the distance. “Surely it can’t just be that he blames them for Michelle, this is a whole other level of hatred.” I said, shaking my head.

“Who knows, man?” Tom said. “Considering we can’t even see into Sean’s head anymore, I don’t think anyone will ever know.” He sighed.

“Huh,” I huffed, blinking in surprise. 

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s just…” I paused, thinking through my mini epiphany for a moment. “Well, as soon as I accepted my birthright and stood against him as an Alpha, all his previous orders just… fell away from me. I was just wondering if that would apply to the order to stay out of his head.” I mused, as Tom nodded thoughtfully.

“That would make sense…” he agreed. “Might be a way to finally get some answers, bro.”

“Pfft, that means actually getting somewhere near the bastard and I’m not _that_ desperate.” I scoffed. “No, if I have my way... that won’t ever happen again.” I said.

Tom merely shrugged, unaffected by my darkened mood at the thought of being around Sean Gayle again. We were silent a moment, each lost in our own thoughts, before Tom cleared his throat. “So… _all_ his orders fell away, huh?” He asked pointedly.

I frowned at his tone, and at the weird, mischievous grin he wore. “Yeah..?”

“So, no offence but uh,” he said, his grin growing as he waved his eyebrows suggestively. “What the hell are you doing out here, when you could be in there with your hot, un-dead doctor man, gettin’ some big ol', un-dead di-" he trailed off as he gyrated his hips roughly, miming a spanking motion with his hand. 

“Aw, geez, Tom!” I laughed despite my embarrassment, shaking my head at his idiocy. “C’mon, it’s not like that… and besides, I said already dude, it’s… it’s complicated now.” 

“And like I said before; _why?”_ Tom countered, grinning at me smugly, as if he knew damn well I didn’t have a valid way to answer.

“Because…” I said awkwardly, trying to push back my embarrassment. After all, I knew everything about Tom’s future relationship, it was only fair I let him in on mine. “We’d just… and then I… and _now-”_

Articulating the actual thoughts however, seemed to be something I was not quite ready to do. Tom laughed at my ridiculous attempt, slapping his palm to his cheek as he watched me with warmth in his eyes. 

I sighed and tried again. “I left.” I said quietly. “He said I shouldn’t, but I was so determined… even though I knew he was right.” I admitted, shaking my head ruefully. “And then look what happened; I got my ass handed to me… if I hadn’t taken the role of Alpha, I might have actually killed him, Tom… how the hell am I supposed to apologise for that?”

“How the hell are you supposed to apologise at all, when you’re hiding out here?” He countered, raising a brow when I blinked in surprise.

I hadn’t thought of it that way.

“Well… I mean, he hasn’t tried to come and talk to me, so-” I said, shifting uncomfortably.

“Dude, if the situation were reversed, and he was spending all his time as a giant dog… what would you think?” Tom laughed, rolling his eyes at me.

I hadn’t thought of it _that_ way either.

“I guess…” I said reluctantly. “I would have to assume, that… he didn’t feel the same anymore.” I admitted, scowling over at Tom’s smug expression. “Hey, don’t be looking all high and mighty, else I’ll come over there and kick your ass.” I pouted.

“Sure you will, Soto.” Tom snorted, shaking his head fondly as he sighed. “Look, you’ve done the hard part; you’ve told him how you feel…” he said, gesturing towards the house. “Now you just have to reiterate that. Tell him nothings changed for you… and if it has for him, well, you’re gonna have to just suck it up.”

I frowned, biting my lip uncertainly. “But… what if he’s right?” I asked quietly. “What if I imprint one day?” I asked. 

“Honestly, I don’t think that’s likely.” Tom sniggered. “Oh, come on, Diego; don’t give me that look… you must have thought it too!” He said, when I raised a brow at him. “Imprinting is about finding the perfect mate, right? The perfect one for us; _to carry on the line._ So, no offence, but unless you suddenly had a change in preference…” he said leadingly, as I lowered my eyes to hide my grin.

“No… I don’t think I have somehow.” I said, peeking up at him. “I suspected it was something like that to be honest,” I admitted. “But it’s good to know I’m not the only one thought so.”

“Dude, I’ve seen what he means to you; I know how you feel about him.” Tom said. “Hell, if it weren’t for the fact that you didn’t feel the world realign itself; I would have said you _had_ imprinted… but who knows man, you’ve always felt different to the rest of us.”

“Huh?” I frowned again. “What do you mean, different?” What, was I some sort of freak of a wolf now too?

“Not bad, just…” Tom frowned, searching for the right words. “I don’t know how to explain it… it’s like, there’s something missing from your life… like,” he exhaled a sharp breath, narrowing his eyes in his concentration. A first for Tom, I was sure. “Like you’re meant for something _more._ ”

“More than being an Alpha, you mean?” I snorted, though I was admittedly shaken by his word choice. It was eerily close to what I felt myself.

“Yeah, I think so man.” Tom said, nodding his head seriously.

“Well, gee, that’s not ominous at all.” I snorted.

“Heh, yeah, I guess with everything we already face in this new world, the unknown is kind of… uh, ominous.” Tom agreed vaguely, eyeing me thoughtfully. “But I think whatever it is your future holds, it’s going to be what you need. And I think it starts,” he said, grinning as he gestured to the house behind me. “With you going and getting your hunk of un-dead, doctor man back.”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help but smile, shaking my head fondly as I half turned to listen to the soft murmurs in the house. Except, they weren’t just soft murmurs anymore. There were urgent voices and hurried steps. I frowned.

“What is it?” Tom asked, sensing my change in mood. 

“I don’t know…” I murmured, trying to listen for something that would help me understand. “Something’s happened. I need to get back to-”

Far away, so low that we could barely hear it over the wind through the trees, a howl rose out of the forest.

“Dang, that’s Sean,” Tom sighed, pushing away from his tree reluctantly. “I guess I better go see what’s up…” he said, half turning away, before frowning back at me. “You don’t think…?” He asked, gesturing towards the Darwin house.

“I don’t know…” I replied distractedly, still trying to hear what was going on. I certainly hoped Sean’s current howling had nothing to do with whatever was going on at the house. “I’m gonna head back. I’d ask you to let me know how it goes, but uh, I’m guessing that won’t be possible.” I said, turning back to Tom briefly. “For what it’s worth… I’m pleased you came. It was good to see you, man, even if…”

Tom nodded, not needing me to finish. “Hey, who knows… with orders falling shy, maybe I’ll be able to keep some of my own thoughts to myself.” He said with a shrug.

I doubted it, but I didn’t bother to say so. “Good luck, dude.” I said, meeting his hand halfway for a high five.

“And you.” Tom said with a pointed wink.

I laughed and turned away, hiding my blush as I took off running, toward the house. I hurdled fallen trees and then ripped my way through the briars, still running. I felt the little tears as the thorns cut into my skin, but I ignored them. Their sting would be healed before I made the driveway.

I had always preferred running in the safety of the trees, where I can run faster, taking longer strides. People would stare if I was out in the open. Normal people couldn’t run like this. Sometimes I thought it might be fun to enter a race; like the Olympic trials or something. It would be cool to watch the expressions on those star athletes’ faces when I blew by them. Only I was pretty sure the testing they did to make sure you weren’t on steroids would probably turn up some really freaky crap in my blood.

As soon as I was far enough from Tom, I skidded to a stop and kicked my jeans off. With quick, practised moves, I rolled them up and tied them to the leather cord around my ankle. As I was still pulling the ends tight, I started shifting. The fire trembled down my spine, throwing tight spasms out along my arms and legs. It only took a second. The heat flooded through me, and I felt the silent shimmer that made me something else. I threw my heavy paws against the matted earth and stretched my back in one long, rolling extension.

Phasing was very easy when I was centred like this. I didn’t have issues with my temper anymore. Except when Sean was involved, as a rule.

As I started running again, faster now I was on all fours, I hoped Tom wouldn’t get too much crap from his Alpha. Bad enough that he had tried to control _me_ so completely, I hated that Sean was laying down the law like that for the whole pack now, or trying to. 

I hated the feeling of having no choice. Of having to obey.

I hated that he was doing that to my friends and former brothers now.

I raced through the woods toward the house, listening for anything which might give away what had happened. As I got within range, I shifted mid leap, landing on my knees and quickly unfolding my jeans. I tugged them on quickly, and then trotted around the trees onto the driveway, hurrying up the stairs to the front door and hesitating.

Did I have to knock? Was I still allowed to walk right in?

My thoughts turned to Tom, to his advice on my ridiculous situation. I supposed this was where it really began; I either made my feelings plain, or I ran away and hid some more.

I bit my lip, straightening my shoulders as I nodded my head, and gripped the door handle; throwing the door open, and striding inside confidently. 

  
  



	9. Holy Shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you're all keeping safe and well in these dark times  
> leave a comment if you're still reading..?  
> had a really bad day and could use some good news (that you're okay) to perk me up
> 
> x Our love to you all x

**Holy Shit**

I didn’t really know what to expect when I walked in, but for Grace to enfold me in a huge hug? Yeah, that wasn’t it.

“Oh, Diego!” She cried in my ear. “It’s so good to see you again! I wanted to come and talk to you, but I didn’t know if maybe…”

I frowned, gently easing her back so I could raise a brow at her. “Maybe, what?” I asked.

“If perhaps… you felt differently, about um,” she paused, drawing away from me and tapping her fingers together uneasily. “ _Our kind._ ” She said quietly.

I felt my face soften, guilt eating at me. “No, Grace… the way I feel will never change.” I promised, wincing internally when I realised Tom had been right. 

My behaviour since I got back didn't exactly scream _I still love you_ at either Mike or the others.

"I'm sorry, I should've come up sooner to say that." I admitted quietly. 

"Better late than never, Diego." Aleister drawled, appearing at Grace's side and smiling at me thinly. "Sometimes one only needs but a single word to apologise, others we may need but a single gesture, to convey a thousand words.” He said.

Honestly, I often thought Aleister was a little over fond of words. This was one of those times. It annoyed me more that I actually understood him though, as I glanced up the stairs briefly. 

“Uh, so…” I cleared my throat, stepping back and allowing Grace to lean into Aleister’s side. “I heard something weird going on in here… and I just wondered what was going on.”

They exchanged a look. Not a good sign.

"Did Sean threaten someo-" I began to growl tensely, remembering his howl at just the moment things had changed in the house.

"No, no…" Grace assured quickly.

"We haven't seen or heard, hide nor tail of the beast." Aleister agreed, as I glanced between them uneasily.

"So, then... what's going on?" I asked, sensing that _something_ was most definitely going on.

"It's Taylor," a voice called from upstairs. I frowned between Grace and Aleister, who gestured for me to follow them and darted up the stairs quickly. I followed just a step behind, and they led me to Quinn, sitting on the floor in her art gallery. "I… I can't see him."

I raised a brow. "Given it's his honeymoon and what he and Jake are probably doing?" I said, my lips twitching with amusement. "I would've said that was probably a good thing, right now."

"No," Quinn said waspishly, waving her hand at me dismissively as she rubbed at her brow with obvious frustration. "I mean I can't see his future anymore."

My heart stopped. "Is he..?" 

"He's… alive." Quinn said evasively. "He spoke to Mike on the phone for a bit." She said, biting her lip as she glanced around the room uncertainly.

"Mike?" I asked, my still heart suddenly jumping back into motion, seemingly straight into overdrive. "Is, uh… is he, around… here?" I asked awkwardly, clearing my throat as I scratched my cheek nervously.

"He's just heading out in the car now," Quinn said distractedly. "He's going to get them from the airport, with Craig and Zahra." She explained.

I tried not to wince as I tuned my hearing to the garage, listening to the soft purr of Mike's Jaguar as he pulled out onto the drive.

He'd known I was here, and had slipped out after Grace and Aleister led me upstairs, I realised. I tried not to feel hurt by that, considering how he must have felt since I'd been back. Once he got back, I would start my apologies; I'd beg if I had to.

"Uh," I shook my head, trying to bring myself back to the here and now; as opposed to the later, with Mike. "So, if Taylor's alive and coming home, how come you can't see him?" I asked, frowning worriedly. "Are the wolves-?"

"No, I can still see Jake and if the wolves were involved he would disappear too." Quinn replied, massaging her temples.

"Well then, what gives?" I pressed, nerves eating at me at the odd vibe in the room. "Do you know why you can't see Taylor, or not?"

"Taylor has an idea that he does." She snorted, rolling her eyes briefly. She caught my concerned expression and sighed, looking up at me fully. "Taylor thinks that… well, he thinks he's _pregnant_." She scoffed, shaking her head as she returned to massaging her temples.

I blinked, waiting for the punchline to what was obviously a terrible joke, but it never came. "What?" I finally asked, feeling like an outsider as Grace and Aleister exchanged another loaded look.

"Taylor believes that he's pregnant, and he's convinced both Mike and Jake so far." Quinn explained, shaking her head faintly. "They're planning to remove it as soon as he gets back."

"Taylor would never allow that." I said instantly, knowing my best friend only too well. The others looked at me curiously. "Come on, you know him better than that by now, surely? You really think he's going to let anyone hurt something that's part Jake? Presuming he isn't just… delusional or high or, too pepped up on Omega fanfiction again." I huffed, folding my arms over my chest.

Grace sighed. "He _does_ tend to have a way of loving things which could… be very bad for him."

"Which is another way of saying he's an idiot, with a danger complex." Aleister snorted in agreement, though his piercing blue eyes were concerned nonetheless.

"You don't…" Quinn bit her lip. "You don't really _believe_ this, do you?" 

I sighed. "I think… if there was ever a guy, who could magically get himself knocked up by his vampire husband? It'd be Taylor." I said, shrugging my shoulders helplessly. "And I think he'd sooner die than give up the chance to spawn a 'mini-Jake'. Don't look at me like that, you _know_ that's how he'll see it." I added, narrowing my eyes when they looked at me like I was crazy.

Grace murmured thoughtfully. "If it _were_ true, if some miracle _did_ happen…"

Quinn grimaced knowingly, recognising the pattern of Taylor’s behaviour too late. "Well, we'll find out soon enough.” She sighed. “I suppose this will make us even bigger targets to the wolves." She added.

"Don't worry about the wolves." I said quickly. "I'll deal with them. You just… feel better and see what you can do for Taylor when they get back."

“Diego, you can’t seriously think you’ll be able to go up against them?” Quinn said, rising off the floor slowly, as if she had vertigo or some other problem with her equilibrium. I wondered just how deeply her visions affected her. “They’re your brothers, your kin… we could never expect you to-”

“I won’t let _any_ of them hurt you. Not any one of you.” I swore determinedly, looking at each of their faces in turn. “If the worst should come to pass, I can at least buy you all time to get away…” I said in a quieter tone.

“We appreciate that,” Kele said, walking in with Jesse. “But we don’t leave family behind to fight alone. If they come, then we stand with you.” He said, clapping me on the shoulder gently, before moving quickly to Quinn’s side. “Are you alright?” He murmured worriedly.

“I’m fine,” Quinn assured, a little too cheerfully. “I just felt a little dizzy for a moment there.” She said, as if that were something that were generally possible for a vampire.

“Maybe you should sit down, miss Quinn…” Jesse said quietly. 

I turned to look at the newest addition to the Darwin family, a distant cousin; as the story had been spread. His eyes were still a dull red, despite his new diet, but they were close to changing; we all knew. He generally kept himself pretty quiet, still in awe of the human and the group who had defended him and saved his life. He was fiercely loyal to them too, that much was plain in the way he trained with Kele; always wanting to be ready, should anything come at them. He had a small ability, a sort of static electricity which shimmered on the palm of his hands. Handy, if someone didn’t want to take no for an answer.

“I’ll be fine.” Quinn said lightly, smiling at Jesse warmly. “Diego, your father is on his way. He has Astrid Nguyen waiting at the end of the drive to take him home again… it might be wise to send him home now, I don’t think he should be here when the others get back.”

“Urgh,” I groaned, rolling my eyes. My dad had the worst timing sometimes. “Alright… I’ll get him back in her car and tell them to head home.” I sighed, turning to leave. “I’ll be back shortly.”

I shook my head as I trotted down the stairs, heading outside to the front porch and rolling my eyes when I saw Ricardo waiting for me with a too innocent grin. 

“Little help, son?”

“Since when do you need help, old man?” I snorted, leaping lightly down the steps.

He laughed his rumbling laugh. “My arms are tired. I pushed myself all the way here from the road.”

“It’s downhill. You coasted the whole way.” I said knowingly, unable to fight a grin as I ambled over and grabbed his chair handles, turning him around and promptly pushing him back up the drive.

“Caught me. Think I got up to about thirty miles per hour. It was great.” He laughed.

“You’re gonna wreck that chair, you know. And then you’ll be dragging yourself around by your elbows.”

“Not a chance. It’ll be your job to carry me.”

“You won’t be going many places.” I scoffed, shaking my head fondly.

“Well, not to sound unappreciative of your help and all here, son… but, I can’t help feeling like I’m not welcome.” Ricardo finally said, making an effort to keep his voice light as I wheeled him quickly up the drive. "Is everything alright?"

Was everything alright? How could I answer that? How much could I really tell him, when Andy was a part of our family now, just as much; if not _more_ than I was?

"Just getting the house cleaned out at the moment." I lied glibly. "Kele and I have been hauling stuff out of the house and into the garage; we didn't think it'd be wise to have a human around when we're tossing furniture around like Quinn tosses clothes." I snickered.

Ricardo was quiet a moment, before he rumbled with quiet laughter. "I suppose that'd make an interesting obituary at least… death by flying couch." He chuckled.

I wasn't sure if he really believed me, but I was pleased that he was at least allowing me to keep our secret safe for now.

"So, what brought you down here, anyway?" I asked, wondering if Sean's howling had more meaning to it than I had first suspected. Did they know Taylor was coming home? Did they know his condition?

"I need a reason to come see my boy?" Ricardo laughed. "I was under the impression I had an open invite…"

"Oh, well, yeah… you do." I said, blushing as I remembered Mike's generous offer. "Um, you should probably call for awhile in future though. We're uh, gonna be having some friends stay over… they're not too, um, social."

"Oh." Ricardo fell quiet briefly, thinking my cryptic words through no doubt. "Are they… not vegetarians?"

I laughed in surprise. I hadn't realised my dad had taken so well to the Darwin's nickname for themselves. "No, no… not that kind of guest, dad. Just, uh, someone who isn't gonna wanna be stared at an awful lot." I offered weakly.

"Huh," Ricardo hummed, mollified there would be no humans fed on in or around Cedar Cove. "Well, I'll be sure to call in future… and you be sure you're around to answer. Else I'll come down and tan your hide."

"Ha, like you could catch me, old man." I laughed. It felt good that I could still have this with Ricardo, that my shift in loyalty hadn't cost me my relationship with him.

"I meant to tell you, the Council spoke with Sean, earlier this morning." He said casually. Too casually. This was the real reason he came.

"Oh?" I tried to sound as nonchalant as he did, but I suspected I failed.

"We've taken a vote, and decided that Taylor's decision to join the Darwin's is not Taino business. He's always been aware of the facts… it's a choice he made, willingly. The treaty stands." He said, as Astrid's car came into view by the end of the driveway.

I blinked, my steps faltering briefly before I caught myself. "I…" so many emotions burst through me, relief and joy most prominent. "That means a lot. I'll be sure to let everyone know." I said thickly, gripping his shoulder warmly.

Ricardo squeezed my hand back, and we walked the rest of the way in silence. I thought back on Sean's howl earlier, and I wondered if that was why he'd called the pack together. Was he telling them to stand down? That his self proclaimed war was over?

I could only hope, I suppose.

I didn't stay long to talk to Astrid, I got the feeling she didn't approve of my choices so much as my dad. I saw them both off with a wave, and then I was charging back up the drive to inform the others of the Council's decision.

I let Grace know quickly, and then disappeared behind the house, throwing my jeans off and phasing quickly to double check my perimeter. Just because the Council made a decision; didn't mean I trusted Sean to uphold it.

I ran as fast as I could, my legs propelling me forward with long, powerful strides. Still, I was only halfway when I picked up the quiet rumble of Mike's engine returning to the garage.

I whined softly, wishing I had been there to greet him; but relieved I still had time to think. Time to decide what I really _needed_ to say. But as I continued to run, all I could actually focus on was the fact that I was getting closer, that for the first time in weeks, I had almost reached him.

I phased back when I had completed my lap, hurrying back into my jeans before trotting around the front of the house.

I took one big gulp of air for my nerves, and then leaped up the porch stairs in one bound.

The door opened before my fist touched it, and then _he_ stood in the frame, his eyes grave.

“Diego,” Mike said, calmer than I would have expected. 

My heart thudded a strange, broken meter, and I wondered if I would ever get used to the way he made me feel. 

I took a deep breath through my nose. I'd missed his scent… it didn't burn my nose like it was supposed to, like I knew it did the others. This wasn't how I pictured a loving reunion. Mike's eyes were guarded, his tone just slightly too cool.

I was disappointed that there was such a huge distance between us, even when we were barely an arms length from each other.

“Hi,” I said stupidly, my tongue refusing to cooperate properly. "Um, so… good news from the uh, the Council." I babbled, biting my lip as I blushed at my own idiocy. Why the hell was I being such an idiot about this? Why wasn't I just saying sorry, or pleading for forgiveness? "I think… I just missed you, earlier-"

"Yeah, had to get to the airport…" he said. Stiff, awkward, just like me. "Figured it 's important to get 'em back here, asap."

An unwanted thought popped into my head.

What if _his_ feelings had changed? I stared at him, dumbfounded. Was that why he avoided me earlier?

“Sorry, come in.” Mike said suddenly. “Can I get ya anythin'?”

 _Yes, you…_ the thought wasn't really helpful to the situation, so I just lowered my eyes and shook my head as I stepped through the door as he indicated. I was keenly aware of my bare torso, only inches away from him. My body burned hotter at the memory of how close we'd once been.

"They're in the lounge." Mike murmured quietly. I peeked at him, but his expression was still cautious. His feelings carefully shut away. Was that because he was afraid my feelings had changed, or because his own had; and he wanted to spare mine? Did I repulse him, now I was an Alpha?

“Dude,” Taylor croaked loudly. "What are you hanging around in doorways for? Quit smooching and come on already…" he called.

Mike’s eyes tightened.

I flinched. My eyes lowered again. So his feelings _had_ changed.

“Excuse me,” I said to the doctor as I shuffled around him. It was hard; it went against all my instincts to turn away from him when I wanted nothing more than to throw myself in his arms.

Not impossible, though. 

I sidestepped into the house, everything was just the same as when I was here this afternoon, except for the eight vampires standing in a group by the white sofa.

They were all here, all together, but that was not what froze me where I stood and had my jaw dropping to the floor.

It was Jake. It was the expression on his face.

I’d seen him angry, and I’d seen him nervous, and once I’d seen him in pain. But this; this was beyond agony. His eyes were half-crazed. He didn’t look up to greet me. He stared down at the couch beside him with an expression like someone had lit him on fire. His hands were rigid claws at his side.

I couldn’t even fathom his anguish. I could only think of one thing that would make him look like that, and my eyes followed his.

Taylor was half-hidden behind the arm of the sofa, curled up in a loose fetal position, his arms wrapped around his knees. For a long second I could see nothing except that he was still the same Taylor I'd seen on his wedding day, the same Taylor who had been my best friend since we were toddlers.

Then I really saw him.

There were deep circles under his eyes, dark circles that jumped out because his face was slightly haggard. Was he thinner? His skin seemed tight, like his cheekbones might break right through it. Most of his short red hair was sticking in every direction like a haystack, but a few strands stuck limply to his forehead and neck, to the sheen of sweat that covered his skin. There was something about his fingers and wrists that looked so fragile it was scary.

He was sick. Very sick.

But surely… it couldn't be what he had thought it was, could it? That was just, impossible; even by his usual standards.

While I stared, eyes bugging, his skin turned light green. Zahra bent over him, cutting into my view, hovering in a strangely protective way.

This was wrong. I knew Zahra didn't like Taylor, well okay, maybe she liked him; but she never _showed_ that she cared about anyone or anything… especially not Taylor, because of his choice to become immortal. I’d seen it in the set of her lips when she talked about him. 

There was nothing but concern in her gaze now, as Taylor glanced up at her. His expression was… apologetic or something. Then Zahra snatched a basin from the floor and held it under Taylor’s chin just in time for him to throw up noisily into it. Jake fell to his knees by Taylor’s side, his eyes all tortured-looking; and Zahra held out her hand, warning him to keep back.

 _That_ in particular, did not make sense. Jake was everything to Taylor, being separated from him was like a physical pain. Why the distance? If it weren’t for Jake’s obvious distress, I would have thought that this was all some elaborate windup; punishment for my abandoning them for so long.

When he could raise his head, Taylor smiled weakly at me, clearly embarrassed. “Sorry about that, dude...” he whispered to me.

Jake moaned quietly. His head slumped against Taylor’s knees. He put one of his hands against his cheek. Like he was comforting him.

I didn’t realise my legs had carried me forward until Zahra hissed at me, suddenly appearing between me and the couch. “Whoa, _what’s_ with the hissing?” I said, throwing up my hands defensively as Zahra scowled at me, her body tensed as if ready to deflect an attack.

“C’mon, Snape, there ain’t no need for none of that.” Mike’s voice was quiet behind me, but it sent a thrill up my spine nonetheless. Perhaps his feelings for me were still there, just buried deep, to protect himself? It was all so confusing...

“Zahra, don’t,” Taylor whispered. “It’s fine.”

Zahra moved out of my way, though I could tell she hated to do it. Scowling at me, she crouched by Taylor’s head, tensed to spring. She was easy to ignore though, as I moved closer.

“Taylor, what the hell have you gone and done now?” I whispered. Without thinking about it, I found myself on my knees, too, leaning over the back of the couch across from Jake. He didn’t seem to notice me, and I barely glanced at him. I reached out for Taylor’s free hand, taking it in both of mine. His skin was icy. “Jesus, dude… what the hell?”

It was a stupid question. He didn’t answer it.

“I’m so glad you’re still here, Diego,” he said.

Even though I knew Jake couldn’t hear his thoughts, he seemed to hear some meaning I didn’t. He moaned again, into the blanket that covered Taylor, and he stroked Jake’s cheek gently.

“You’re kind of freaking me out here…” I admitted, trying to make my tone gentle and joking. “What is it, Taylor?” I insisted, wrapping my hands tight around his cold, fragile fingers.

Instead of answering, he glanced around the room like he was searching for something, both a plea and a warning in his look. Nine pairs of anxious eyes stared back at him. Finally, he turned to Zahra.

“Help me up, Zahra?” He asked. Zahra’s lips pulled back over her teeth, and she glared up at me like she wanted to rip my throat out. I was sure she hadn’t hated me so much before.. “Please, Zahra.”

Zahra made a face, but leaned over him again, next to Jake; who didn’t move an inch. She put her arm carefully behind Taylor’s shoulders.

“No,” I whispered. “Don’t get up...” he looked so weak.

“I’m answering your question,” he snapped, rolling his eyes and sounding a little bit more like the way he usually talked to me.

Zahra pulled Taylor off the couch. Jake stayed where he was, sagging forward till his face was buried in the cushions. The blanket fell to the ground at Taylor’s feet.

Taylor’s body was swollen, his torso distended in a strange, unusual way. It strained against the faded gray t-shirt that was way too big for his shoulders and arms. The rest of him seemed thinner, like the small bulge had grown out of what it had sucked from him. It took me a second to realise what the deformed part was; I didn’t understand until he folded his hands tenderly around his bloated stomach, one above and one below. Like he was cradling it.

“Holy…” I saw it then, but I still couldn’t believe it. There was no way he could be pregnant. Except that he _was._ “Dude, how the hell do you always manage to find this kind of crazy, impossible stuff?” I choked, shaking my head in disbelief of the evidence which was staring me in the face.

“Heh, you know me,” he chuckled tiredly. “Always looking for the next fix of impossible legends.”

“Dude, have you ever thought about, like… _not_ being such a danger magnet?” I sighed, squeezing his hand gently.

“Hey, don’t blame me…” he laughed weakly, gesturing for Zahra to help him sit back down. “It’s not my fault this stuff always aims for me.” He snorted.

I shook my head, rounding the couch and approaching him uncertainly. “I feel so… morbidly curious right now.” I admitted without thinking, as Taylor laughed, clearly relieved I wasn’t freaking out. Externally, anyway.

“I’m gonna… see if I can’t find some of my old legends and texts,” Mike said softly, his eyes meeting mine briefly as I glanced toward him, before he turned and disappeared quickly. I frowned, half a mind to go after him and resolve this whole mess I’d made between us, but instead I sighed and turned back to Taylor. 

“So, can I..?” I asked, lifting my hand uncertainly. 

“Sure,” Taylor snickered, and he took my hand to press it to his slightly distended bulge. “You’re the first person who’s asked, besides Mike… and that was only for medical purposes.” He said, a hint of a pout in his tone.

“Dude, not to state the obvious, but I’m pretty sure you’ve freaked everyone out with your latest leap into the unknown.” I snorted quietly, as Taylor sighed and nodded, looking back at Jake longingly. I looked down at my hand, warm on his icy skin. There was a solidity beneath the skin, like a rock. Like a vampire. “Whoa…” 

“Diego,” Jake said in a low voice, talking only to me. “Can I talk to ya?” He reached up to touch Taylor’s face, to stroke it. “Don’t strain yaself,” he whispered to him, pleading. “Just... rest. We’ll be back in a couple minutes.”

Taylor stared at his face, reading it carefully. Then he nodded and drooped in the couch cushions tiredly.

I hesitated a moment longer with my very pregnant, very male best friend, and then rose from the couch and turned away, following Jake out the front door.

He kept walking, seemingly with a rough destination in mind. “I can’t stand seein’ him like that,” he whispered as he paced quickly away from the house. “This ‘s all my fault… Gayle were right. I killed him.”

My lips curled back in a snarl. “Sean Gayle doesn’t know his own head from his bloody ass.” I bit out. “Taylor isn’t dead yet, so stop acting like he is.” I said, scowling at him as he kept walking, maybe a couple hundred yards down the drive away from the house, with me right trailing after him idly.

He stopped without warning and pivoted to face me. His expression froze me again.

For a second I was just a kid; a kid who had lived all of his life in the same tiny town. Just a child. Because I knew I would have to live a lot more, suffer a lot more, to ever understand the searing agony in Jake’s eyes.

He raised a hand as if to wipe sweat from his forehead, but his fingers scraped against his face like they were going to rip his granite skin right off. His eyes were dark, almost black, and they burned in their sockets; out of focus, or seeing things that weren’t there. His mouth opened like he was going to scream, but nothing came out.

This was the face a man would have if he were burning at the stake. 

For a moment I couldn’t speak. It was too real, this face; I’d seen a shadow of it in the house, seen it in Taylor’s eyes and his, but this made it final. 

“It _is_ killing him… isn’t it? He’s really dying.” And I knew when I said it that my face was a watered-down echo of his. Weaker, different, because I was still in shock and he was merely my best friend; not the love of my existence. I shuddered to think what I would feel if our situations were reversed… if Mike were the one dying, and I had no chance of saving him; from himself.

I hadn’t entirely wrapped my head around it yet; it was all happening too fast. But this was Taylor, weird and unexplainable shit always happened to him. It was inevitable.

“‘S all my fault,” Jake whispered again, and his knees gave out. He crumpled in front of me, and I wasn’t sure whether I should go and get someone else to deal with this, because I didn’t know how to deal with a broken Jake. “Yeah...” he groaned into the dirt, like he was confessing to the ground. “‘S killin’ him.”

His broken helplessness irritated me. 

“Can’t Mike do anything?” I growled. “He’s a _doctor…_ he’ll help and see that everything goes okay, or he could take it out, before it-”

He looked up then and answered me in a tired voice. Like he was explaining this to a kindergartener for the tenth time. “He won’t let us.” 

I sighed. It was exactly like I predicted. So Taylor. He wasn’t about to let anyone hurt something that had a part of Jake in it. 

“Ya know him well,” he whispered. “Ya saw it, right away… I didn’t. Not in time. He wouldn’t talk to me on the way home, not really. I thought he was frightened; that’d be natural. I thought he were angry with me, for puttin’ him through this, for endangerin’ his life. _Again_ .” He chuckled, but the sound was devoid of any humour. “I never imagined what he was really thinkin’, what he was resolvin’. Not ‘til they met us at the airport an’ he ran straight into Zahra’s arms. _Zahra’s!_ An’ then I heard what Skrillex was thinkin’. I didn’t understand ‘til I heard that. Yet _you_ understand, even before knowin’ it ‘s true...” He half-sighed, half-groaned.

“He won’t let you...” I raised a brow. “Did you ever notice that he’s exactly as strong as a normal human _girl_? How dense can you guys be? Knock him out with some drugs, and then-”

“I wanted to,” he whispered. “Mike would’ve...” he sighed. “But, his bodyguard complicates shit.”

“Craig and Grace are backing up Zahra.” I guessed, nodding as I thought through everything I’d come to learn for myself about this, _my_ , family. “Craig would never let anything happen to Zahra… and Aleister won’t let anything happen to Grace. So with the four of them against it, Mike won’t operate.” I trailed off, my voice disappearing as I swallowed thickly.

“I should’ve let Gayle kill me at the damn weddin’...”

I snarled, my body quivering with an unfamiliar rage. “ _Shut up_.” I snapped, scowling at him in disgust. “Don’t you _ever_ let Taylor hear you say that.” I said scathingly, glaring at him until I forced my eyes away, running a hand through my hair distractedly.

He stared up at me from inside his own personal hell, and I could see the helplessness clear slightly from his eyes. “Ya right… I can’t leave him to face this ‘lone.” He said, nodding roughly.

We were silent for a moment, before I sighed and looked back at him curiously. “How the hell did this even happen?” Even by Taylor’s standards, this was way up there on the crazy scale."

“We dunno,” he said, the words as quiet as a breath. “There ain’t never been anythin’ like Taylor an’ me ‘fore... but even basic anatomy seems to have failed us here.” He dragged his hands over his stubbled jaw tiredly. “How the hell’re we to know a human ‘s even able conceive a kid with one of us, let alone—” he broke off, shaking his head wearily.

“They’re out there…” I said. “The incubus, the succubus. They exist.” I pointed out, remembering some of the books I’d seen in Mike’s study.

“Yeah, but the seduction’s jus’ a prelude to the feast. No one _survives.”_ He shook his head dismissively.

“But it might help to figure out what’s happened, if we learn more about them.” I said thoughtfully. “I mean, the more we know; the better the chance of saving Taylor, right?”

He stared up at me with a face that looked a thousand years old. “I dunno anymore, I dunno what to do.” He said, his voice wavering in a way that made me think he’d already given up. He thought he was going to lose him.

“Giving up doesn’t save him,” I said quietly.

He nodded, but didn’t reply for a long time, staring into the distance unseeingly. “Diego, I gotta ask ya to do somethin’ for me.”

I raised a brow.

He kept staring at me with those half-tired, half-crazy eyes. “For him?”

“Why do I suddenly just _know_ that I’m not going to like this?” I groaned, turning away as if that would stop me hearing whatever he was going to ask of me.

“Ya _know_ him, Diego. Ya his best friend; ya connect to him on a level, I don’t even get… Ya part of him, an’ he’s part of _you_ . He won’t listen to me, ‘cause he thinks I’m underestimatin’ him. He thinks he’s strong enough...” He choked and then swallowed. “But he might listen to _you_.”

“What are you..?” I frowned, before blinking in surprise. “Oh, no… no, no, _no._ I am not going to try and persuade him of anything like _that,_ Jake.” I said firmly. “I’ve had my life taken from me, my control stolen like that. I won’t play underhanded games like that to try and convince him to get rid of it. This is Taylor’s choice… as much as I don’t want to lose him; I can’t do that to him.”

He lurched to his feet, his eyes burning brighter than before, wilder. I wondered if he was really going crazy. Could vampires lose their minds?

“Maybe,” he answered my thought. “I dunno. It feels like it.” He shook his head. “I gotta try’n hide this in front of him, ‘cause stress makes him more ill. He can’t keep anythin’ down as it is. I gotta keep my shit together; I can’t make it harder. But that don’t matter now. He’s gotta listen to ya!”

“I can’t tell him anything you haven’t, Jake.” I protested. “What do you want me to do? Tell him he’s an idiot? I do that every damn day. Tell him he’s going to die? I’m guessing he knows that, and just doesn’t care. Because he has a _life_ growing in him.” I explained. “To _him,_ this is a _miracle._ Surely you see that?”

“If it’s kids he wants, he can go an’ have ‘em.” Jake bit out, running a hand through his shaggy hair. 

I frowned. He wasn’t making any sense. Part of the oncoming insanity, perhaps?

“I don’t care bout nothin’ but keepin’ him alive,” he said, suddenly focused now. “If it’s kids he wants, he can have ‘em. He can have half a dozen babies. Anythin’ he damn well wants.” He paused for one beat. “If he’s equipped to have kids, weird as fuck as it is, well he can go right ahead.” He insisted.

“But _not_ this way!” He hissed before I could counter his argument. “Not this _thing_ that’s suckin’ the goddamn life outta him while I stand there helpless! Watchin’ him sicken an’ waste away. Seein’ it hurtin’ him.” He sucked in a fast breath like someone had punched him in the gut. “Ya gotta make him see reason, Diego, _please_ . He won’t listen to me anymore. Zahra’s always there, feedin’ his insanity; encouragin’ him. Protectin’ him. No, protectin’ _it_. Taylor’s life means nothin’ to her in comparison.”

The noise coming from my throat sounded like I was choking.

What was he saying? That Taylor should, what? Have a baby? With some random stranger? What? Was he giving him up? A freak baby maker for the rich or just desperate? Or did he think Taylor wouldn’t mind being shared around a bunch of humans, just to get himself knocked up again?

“Whatever keeps him alive.”

“That’s the craziest thing you’ve said yet,” I mumbled, shaking my head. “This is wrong, so wrong…” I said.

“He’s ready to die to have a kid-”

“Because it’s _yours_ , Jake!” I snapped back at him, scowling at him irritably. “Don’t you know him at all?”

“I ain’t sayin’ ‘s gonna be easy... I know, ’s gonna take a lotta convincin’.” Jake said, his tone pleading again. “‘S why I need ya. Ya know how he thinks. Make him see sense.”

I scoffed. “Make Taylor see sense? What universe do _you_ live in?”

“At least try.”

I shook my head slowly. “Where is this psycho crap coming from? Are you making this up as you go?” I was morbidly curious, but I didn’t really care if he didn’t actually answer me at this point. Hell, it would probably be better if he didn’t.

“I been thinkin’ of nothin’ but ways to save him since I realised what he’s plannin’ on doin’. What he’d die to do.” Jake admitted quietly, looking back toward the house longingly. “But his condition makes it tricky. It changes so fast. The thing’s… _growin’._ Faster’n normal kids do. I can’t be away from him now.” He exhaled a trembling sigh. “Mike reckon’s he’s ‘bout three weeks, but he’s showin’ more like three months… we’re assumin’ that ‘s gonna all be over, ‘bout six more weeks.”

“What is it?”

“None of us got any idea. But it’s stronger’n he is. Already.” Jake said thickly. “Help me stop it, Diego, please...” he whispered. “Help me stop this from happenin’.”

I sighed, looking up at the house dubiously. “No.” I said, shaking my head. “I’m sorry Jake, but I won’t try and change his mind. You and I both know it won’t work anyway, and it’s only going to piss him off. He’ll just cut us out of this, and go it alone. Is that what you want?”

“But… maybe it’ll confuse him, though. Maybe... he’ll falter in his resolve. One moment of doubt is all I need.”

“Jake, you can’t seriously be considering this?” I frowned.

“I...” Jake swallowed, looking over at me with his empty eyes once more. “I _can’t_ lose him, Diego… _please,_ help me.”

I frowned, swallowing heavily as I looked at my best friends husband, a man pleading for me to do something awful to save the love of his existence. The question was, could I really do that?  
  



	10. Broken Bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all sorry for the late update  
> AO3 has kind of gone on a backburner just lately  
> I have to let you all know that as it stands; we have to Chapter 15 ready- and then no more. I haven't done it.
> 
> Honestly, i cant say rn if i am gonna keep writing. A part of me wants to, but another part of me feels nauseas just opening a dicument rn
> 
> A lot has happened. Not just recently but... generally. And its all piling up still... 
> 
> I'm sorry to anyone i let down
> 
> Please know i love you all and will try my hardest to finish my wips at least
> 
> Please enjoy the chapter
> 
> x Our love to you all x

**Broken Bonds**

I felt like… like I don’t know what. Like this wasn’t real. 

My best friend since before I could even remember, had fallen in love with and married a vampire; and was now, somehow, expecting his child… even though, he was most definitely a _he_ and not a _she._ Unless Julia and Scott had been keeping some _very_ dodgy secrets these past twenty one years. 

As I walked slowly through the Darwin’s house, thinking over all the impossible things we’d all been through together. These strangely gentle creatures, which were supposed to be my mortal enemies, because I was a werewolf; except, I was actually in love with one of them. They’d been there for me, when my Alpha had betrayed me. They’d stood up for me, given me a place to stay and a chance to discover for myself, who _I_ really was.

And now my best friends husband, wanted me to try and convince said _idiot_ of a best friend, to let them remove _this_ baby from him so it wouldn't kill him; and let him have someone else's babies. Anyone else's babies really, if he wanted… if he still _could_.

But although I said I would talk to him. I had no expectations that he would listen to me. Just like always, he'd do whatever he damn well wanted; because Taylor believed dumb things.

Just this once though, I had to admit, he might have bitten off more than he could chew. This kid had taken a lot from him in three weeks; and the next six would only get worse.

Jake comment on my thoughts as he led the way back to the house. I wondered about the place that he’d chosen to stop. Was it far enough from the house that the others couldn’t hear his whispers? Was that the point?

Maybe. When we walked through the door, the other Darwins’ eyes were mostly confused. No one looked disgusted or outraged. So they must not have heard what Jake had asked me to do.

I hesitated in the open doorway, not sure what to do now. I didn't like feeling like some outsider. I missed the sense of family which we had formed. Would I ever earn that back?

Jake walked into the middle of the huddle, shoulders stiff. Taylor watched him anxiously, and then his eyes flickered to me for a second. Then he was watching Jake again.

His face turned a grayish pale, and I could see what Jake meant about the stress making him feel worse.

“We’re gonna let Diego an' Taylor talk 'while,” Jake said. There was no inflection at all in his voice. Robotic.

“Over my pile of ashes,” Zahra hissed at him. She was still hovering by Taylor’s head, one of her cold hands placed possessively on Taylor’s sallow cheek.

Jake didn’t look at her. “Taylor,” he said in that same empty tone. “Diego wants to talk to ya. Are ya 'fraid to be 'lone with him?”

Taylor looked at me, confused. Then he looked at Zahra.

“Zahra, it’s fine. Diego’s not going to hurt us. Go with Jake.” I almost smiled at his use of the word 'us'. It was weird, but sweet. It suited him.

“It might be a trick,” Zahra warned.

“I don’t see how,” Taylor snickered. "What's he gonna do? Bark at me?"

“Mike an' me'll always be in ya sight, Skrillex,” Jake said. The emotionless voice was cracking, showing the anger through it. “We’re the ones he’s 'fraid of.”

“No,” Taylor whispered. His eyes were glistening, his lashes wet. “No, Jake. I’m not...”

He shook his head, smiling a little. The smile was painful to look at. “Don’t worry 'bout me, Taylor.”

Typical; Taylor was beating himself up about hurting Jake's feelings, while Jake was beating himself up about Taylor's… condition.

If there weren't so many dour faces in the room, I would have laughed. Why did they think Taylor would suddenly stop being Taylor? Because he was married now? A name change was never going to change who he was, anymore than a change from human to vampire.

“C'mon,” Jake said, his hand stiffly motioning toward the door. “ _Please_.”

The composure he was trying to keep up for Taylor was shaky. I could see how close he was to that burning man he’d been outside. The others saw it, too.

Silently, they moved out the door while I shifted out of the way. They moved fast; my heart beat twice, and the room was cleared except for Zahra, hesitating in the middle of the floor, and Jake, still waiting by the door.

“Zahra,” Taylor said quietly. “I want you to go.”

Zahra glared at Jake and then gestured for him to go first. He disappeared out the door. She gave me a long warning glower, and then she disappeared, too.

Once we were alone, I crossed the room and sat on the floor next to Taylor. I took both his cold hands in mine, rubbing them carefully.

“Thanks, Diego. That feels good.”

“I’m not going to lie, dude... you’re hideous.”

“I know,” he sighed. “I’m scary-looking.”

“Thing-from-the-swamp scary,” I agreed.

He laughed. “It’s so good having you here. It feels nice to smile. I don’t know how much more drama I can stand.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Okay, okay,” he agreed. “I bring it on myself.”

“Yeah, you do. Dude… you couldn't just be content with marrying and becoming a vampire? You had to go and bring a whole other leg of weird in?” I teased, relieved when Taylor just laughed quietly. I got the feeling that he hadn't had much cause to laugh lately.

“Did he ask you to yell at me?”

“Sort of. But I don't get why he thinks you’d listen to me. You never listen to anyone.” I snorted.

He sighed. "Does he really… hate me?”

“Don't be stupid, Taylor.” I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "He loves you, and right now you have him terrified he's going to lose you." I said. "Cut the guy some slack."

He grinned at me sheepishly. His skin stretched tight over the bones. “I'm really glad you came back, dude. Everyone else is so severe about it, one way or the other. It's good not to have someone scared to tell me things straight.”

“Well, you're not exactly making it easy for them, are you?” I said.

“What do you-?”

"Taylor, you've got Jake and Mike on lockdown away from you but then you make them feel bad when they call it like it is and say you're afraid of them." I pointed out. I could probably have been gentler about this, but Taylor could be really pigheaded when he wanted to be. "You need to let Mike help," I held my hand up when he made a face and opened his mouth to argue. "I'm not saying like that, it's not my call to make… but regardless, who else here is actually medically equipped to help you the best?" I asked.

Taylor grimaced and pouted down at his lap. We didn’t talk for a minute. His hands were starting to warm up a little.

“Did he really ask you to talk to me?”

I nodded. “To talk some sense into you. There’s a battle that’s lost before it starts.”

“So why did you agree?”

"I didn’t." I laughed at his brows, which lifted in surprise. "I said I would talk to you sure, but dude, if you're set on something then changing your mind is about as possible as changing piss into wine."

Taylor laughed and wrinkled his nose. "Gross, dude." He snickered. “It’ll work out, you know,” he said after a quiet minute. “I believe that.”

That made me roll my eyes. "Dude, you believe a lot of very stupid stuff."

"Yeah, but I'm usually proven right." He said with a smug grin.

“Is dementia one of your _symptoms_?” I snorted.

He laughed, though I was seriously starting to doubt how well he'd thought this through.

“Maybe,” he said. “I’m not saying things will work out easily, Diego. But how could I have lived through all that I’ve lived through; and not believe in magic by this point?”

“Magic?”

“Especially now,” he said. He was smiling. His hands were warmer than before, but they felt cool against my skin, like most things did. “More than anything else, I believe this was meant to be.”

“What are you babbling about?”

Still smiling. “You're the one who said about fate, dude.” He said. "This is my fate. I don't know how, or why… I just know it is. Just like I knew me and Jake were meant to be." He said, his eyes turning mischievous as his grin turned sly. "Just like I know you and Mike are."

I rolled my eyes. "We're talking about _you_ assbutt, not me and my… convoluted mess." I snorted.

"I don't think it's a convoluted mess." Taylor snickered. "I think you're just being a chickenshit."

"I am not-!" I paused mid-tirade, sighing with resignation. "Okay, I'll give you that one." I admitted, nudging his arm carefully. "But let's just stick to this subject for now."

He sighed and rolled his eyes, but let it go for now.

I looked at Taylor and tried to think of what I wanted to say. I tried to see what Jake and the others saw; some monster, killing him from within. But all I could see was my best friend, doing what he always did. “Just… humour me for a second.” I struggled for words, licking my lips hesitantly. “Do you really think that Jake is going to love something,” I jabbed a finger toward his faintly swollen body. “That takes you away from him?”

Taylor looked down at the ground, frowning at my words. "You’ll kill him, you know that.” He flinched, but I kept going. “So, what is it you're hoping to achieve, dude? I'm not judgeing… I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I just; I don't understand why you're doing this… when Jake is going to be begging for people to kill him, once you're dead.”

He sighed. “I know, Diego... But I just, I feel… that this is all going somewhere _good_ , hard to see as it is now. I guess you could call it faith.”

“You’re willing to die, to essentially end both your lives?”

His hand dropped to the small bulge of his stomach, caressed it. He didn’t have to say the words for me to know what he was thinking.

“I’m not going to die,” he said through his teeth, and I could tell he was repeating things he’d said before. “I _will_ keep my heart beating. I’m strong enough for that.”

“Taylor… you’ve been trying to keep up with the supernatural for too long. No _normal_ person can do it. You’re not strong enough.” I took his face in my hand. I didn’t have to remind myself to be gentle. Everything about him screamed breakable. "Dude, this is only week three… there's another six ahead of you."

“I can do this. I can do this,” he muttered, sounding a lot like that kids’ book about the little engine that could.

I sucked in a deep breath, knowing his path was set and there was nothing I could do to change his mind. “So what’s your plan?" I asked as cheerfully as I could. "I hope you have one.”

He nodded, not meeting my eyes. “Did you know Grace jumped off a cliff? When she was human, I mean.”

"Yeah, you told me about that…" I said, frowning and trying to work out where he was going with this. “So?”

“So, she was close enough to dead that they didn’t even bother taking her to the emergency room; they took her right around to the morgue. Her heart was still beating, though, when Mike found her...”

That’s what he’d meant before, about keeping his heart beating.

“You’re not planning on surviving this human,” I realised.

“No. I’m not stupid.” He met my stare then. “I guess you probably have your own opinion on that point, though.”

"I think everyone does at this point dude." I snorted, pleased when he snickered softly too. “So… emergency vampirization,” I said.

“It worked for Grace. And Craig, and Zahra, and even Jake. None of them were in such great shape. Mike only changed them because it was that or death. He doesn’t end lives, remember; he saves them.”

I felt a sudden twinge of longing as we talked about Mike again. I coughed, trying to pretend I didn't notice my already too high temperature steadily creep even higher. How unfair that I ran hotter than anyone, and _still_ blushed. 

"Are they still here?" He asked suddenly. "In the house, I mean?"

I frowned, wondering if he was just trying to distract me or if he really wanted to know. At his impatient gesture to the rest of the house, I rolled my eyes and listened carefully. "Jake's pacing down on the driveway… Mike's trying to talk to him, soothe him. It's not going very well." I murmured, barely registering Taylor's guilty wince as I stared straight through him. "Zahra's just ahead of them, between them and the house… and Craig is nearby, with Aleister, Grace and Jesse." I said, listening briefly to their debate about my intent, before shaking my head and turning away from their conversation. "Quinn is… by the river. Kele is comforting her." I added quietly.

"She thinks I'm going to die… because she can't see the baby." He said just as quietly, sighing and shaking his head. "But she's just assuming. I'll prove it to them all, that I can do this."

I wisely chose not to comment on that particular statement. What good would it do to have yet another person undermining him?

"Dude, can you help me up?" He asked suddenly, seeming to snap out of his revelry.

"Uh, that depends…" I said cautiously. "Is Zahra gonna try to kill me when she comes back in?"

Taylor laughed. "No, I'll just tell her you were helping me to bed so I could lie down." He said easily, his hands curling protectively over his stomach.

"Okay, well, I'm holding you to that…" I said with a grimace, pushing to my feet and helping him find his feet carefully. "Are you okay to even walk?" I asked, eyeing him dubiously. Before he could answer I swept him up into my arms, not wanting to take the risk. He sagged with relief, and I knew I'd chosen right. "Okay, where to, Mamma?" I asked, laughing when he swatted my shoulder and pouted.

“Don't be such a jerk." He muttered, shaking his head at my teasing. I got the feeling he was relieved I wasn't freaking out about it, wasn't trying to convince him to give up his 'miracle'. I didn't want to admit that if situations were reversed… I would understand exactly how he felt. "Take me up to Mike's office." He said quietly.

My steps faltered. "M-Mike's..?" I coughed and cleared my throat. "W-why, uh, why do you… wanna go there?" I asked awkwardly, pretending not to notice the hot flush which crept through my veins. I hadn't been there since...

Taylor eyed me warily, as if worried about my reaction. “I just need to show you something.”

I didn't answer. Instead I carried him quickly up the stairs, careful not to jostle him in any way. I paused outside Mike's office, holding my breath as I nudged the door open. It was as if someone had started an instant replay. I could see us both, entangled on his desk; before he moved us to the floor. My breath left me in a rapid gust, and I looked to the floor as if I'd just been burnt.

“Diego?” Taylor murmured my name worriedly, sensing the tenseness in my shoulders perhaps. "Are you-?"

"I'm fine." I said quickly, struggling to get a grip on the fierce longing I felt. Again, I wished I had never left. That I had taken Mike's advice and stayed here, that I'd called my dad and introduced them myself. But I was able to push through all the regret faster now. I drew in a deep breath and stepped through the doorway, my memories carefully locked away for the time being. "Where to, Milady?"

“Stop that.” Taylor pouted, swatting me again, though he still eyed me uncertainly. "Or I'll set Zahra on you." He said, seeming to give up on the puzzle of my reaction. "Take me to the desk… I need to get to the drawers." 

“O-okay.” I tried to remind myself that my memories were locked away, that I couldn't see myself sat on the desk as I slowly walked closer. That I couldn't feel his cold hands on my burning skin; making me feel normal for the first time in… too long.

"Here," he said as soon as we rounded the desk, gesturing to the top drawer. "Open that."

I wasn't sure what to do for a moment. To open the drawer, I should really put Taylor down; but I didn't want to sit him on the desk. It was dumb and possessive, but I didn't want him to sit where I had sat; I didn't want him to take my place. It was a very weird and confusing feeling, and it left me propping Taylor on my knee while I tugged the drawer open.

"So what am I-" I began to ask, but I didn't need to finish. It was pretty obvious what he brought me here to see. " _Oh_."

"Jake said that he got it custom made." Taylor said quietly, as my fingers stretched into the drawer and gently touched the soft material of the blue collar, adorned with three golden letters and a small tag.

" _Pup_ ," I snickered softly, shaking my head at his idiocy. "What I wouldn't give to hear him call me that now." I huffed.

"Well, maybe if he saw you wearing this, he would." Taylor said lightly.

I didn't reply at first, lowering my fingers to the small tag and smiling at the warning there. " _Do not touch… property of Mike Darwin_." I whispered, sniffing as my eyes began to sting. Taylor started when I shoved the drawer closed, wiping my eyes on the back of my hand before carrying him quickly out of the office. "If he wanted me to wear it, he would have given it to me." I said thickly.

"Well, maybe he's just scared you don't want him anymore, dude." Taylor said, as I carried him along the hall. "Vampires mate for life, remember?" He said gently, his fingers dancing over his old scar. "I think the next move is down to you."

It wasn't fair I couldn't even playfully jostle him now. I was too scared of hurting him… them. "So did you really want to lie down..?" I said, unsubtly closing the subject.

"No, take me back to the couch…" he sighed.

We made it back without saying anything more. I couldn't deny that my heart was dancing, floating like my thoughts in a haze of giddiness. The idea of Mike still wanting me, that he might forgive me for leaving after all; it was intoxicating.

"So," I said, as I set him carefully back on his feet and helped him sit back down. "Are you really scared of Jake and Mike?"

He grimaced. "It's not that… he assumes-" he paused, sucking in a deep breath. "He wanted Mike to 'get that thing out'... he wouldn't listen to me. Wouldn't trust me."

"No offence, Taylor, but… what would you have done, if the situation were reversed?"

He flinched. "I'm not saying I don't understand… but he always overreacts when it comes to me." He smiled fondly and took a deep breath. “It’s not the right thing now.” His gaze touched his big round stomach and he whispered under his breath, “I won’t kill him.”

I snorted and covered my mouth with my hand guiltily. “I hadn’t heard the great news. A bouncing baby boy, huh?" I snickered. "I should have brought some blue balloons.”

His face turned pink. “I don’t know he’s a boy,” he admitted sheepishly. “The ultrasound wouldn’t work. The membrane around the baby is too hard; like their skin. So he’s a little mystery. But I always see a boy in my head.”

“Well, six weeks and the mystery will arrive, Taylor.” I sighed. "You're _really_ sure you can make it that long?"

“We’ll see,” he said. Almost smug.

I bit my lip uncertainly, and he laughed. 

“You’re very pessimistic, Diego. There is definitely a chance that I might walk away from this.”

I nodded slowly. "Well, I can't tell you what to do here, so...” I spread my palms. "I guess I'll just try and help, wherever I can."

"Thanks, dude.”

“Well, now all that gay bonding and shit it out the way…" I coughed, as Taylor laughed quietly. "What’s the deal, dude?” I looked down at the pale carpet, feeling guilty that my bare feet were dirty, and had left a few faint smudges. I glanced toward the stairs quickly, relieved when there were no signs that I'd moved over that area, let alone gone up to Mike's office. “ _Ahem…_ I mean, I thought you wanted Jake more than anything. Since when are you desperate to be a _mom_?”

"Diego!" He whined, though his lips twitched with amusement. "God, it's so weird, I'm not gonna lie… but it feels right."

He sighed. “And, it’s not like that anyway… I didn’t really care about having a baby before. I didn’t even think about it." He said, squirming as he tried to find the words. "It’s not just having a baby. It’s… well… _this_ baby.”

“Jake's baby.” I said, as he nodded and sagged with relief. "He's killing you, Taylor… you do acknowledge that, right?" I pressed, not wanting to upset him but needing to know he wasn't just being delusional about how this _could_ end.

“He’s not. It’s me. I’m just weak and human. But I can tough this out, Diego!" He promised vehemently. "I can—”

“Taylor, you’re not fooling me." I said gently. "You know there's a chance… you’re not going to make it.”

He glared at me. “I do _not_ know that." He sniffed, before biting his lip guiltily. "I’m _worried_ about it, sure.”

“Worried about it,” I snorted, rolling my eyes.

He gasped then and clutched at his stomach. “I’m fine,” he panted. “It’s nothing.”

I frowned, glancing down at where his hands had pulled his t-shirt to the side. I stared at the skin it exposed. His stomach looked like it was stained with big splotches of purple-black ink.

He saw my stare, and he yanked the fabric back in place. “He’s strong, that’s all,” he said defensively.

The ink spots were bruises.

I drew a deep breath, and suddenly understood what Jake had said, about watching it hurt him. He needed more help than he was getting.

“Taylor,” I said.

He heard the change in my voice. He looked up, still breathing heavy, his eyes confused.

“Taylor, don’t do this.”

“Diego—”

"Listen to me. Don’t get your back up yet. Okay? Just listen.” I insisted, raising my palms toward him defensively.

“Listen to what..?” he asked distrustfully.

"Look, I know you want to do what's best… and I know Zahra is your defensive giant, keeping you safe from Jake's immediate reaction to protect you first." I said slowly, trying to word it right. "But of everyone here, who would know best; just how to help you?"

Taylor grimaced, sensing where I was heading. "He was going to-"

"But has he tried to?" I pressed. "Since you got back, has he even mentioned it? Or have you been too busy hiding behind Zahra, to let him really try to do his job?"

Taylor avoided my eyes stubbornly, his silence as much of an answer as anything.

"Taylor… let Mike help you." I pleaded. "What have you got to lose here? Of all the medical professionals in the _world_ , he's the _only one_ with a chance in hell of figuring this out. Hell, he might even be able to make things easier for you; and that in itself will calm Jake down… so just, let him help. Please."

"You're just saying that 'cause you're all in love with him." Taylor mumbled petulantly.

I laughed quietly. "It does make it easier to recommend him to people, but in this particular case… you know I'm right, Taylor." I smiled lopsidedly, and Taylor sighed as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, _fine_." He grumbled, pouting at the floor. "I'll try to be good and let him help me more…" he said, his lips twitching with mild amusement. 

We were quiet for a moment then, before he glanced up at me curiously. "Is that what he wanted to talk to you about? To get me to trust Mike?"

“Uh… no, not… not exactly." I coughed awkwardly, because I hadn't wanted to get into what insanity Jake was thinking. 

"Then… what _did_ he say?" Taylor asked, raising a brow at my discomfort. "You coildn't tell me anything worse than I'll imagine, so you might as well tell me. Else I'll just worry about it anyway."

I sighed, knowing that was true. "Well… he wanted me to tell you that, if this 'miracle' of yours, wasn’t a one-shot deal…" I paused, trying to make it sound better than it did. I wasn't sure if I actually could, though. "That... if it wasn’t all or nothing? And kept yourself alive-”

“I won’t—”

“I’m not done yet." I sighed, rolling my eyes at his impatience. "So you stay alive… then you can start over. This didn’t work out. Try again.”

He frowned. He raised one hand and touched the place where my eyebrows were mashing together. His fingers smoothed my forehead for a moment while he tried to make sense of it.

“I don’t understand.… What do you mean, try again?" He mumbled, still frowning. "And what difference would it make? I’m sure any baby—”

“Yes,” I said quietly. “Any baby of his would be the same.”

His tired face just got more confused. “What?”

But I couldn’t say any more. There was no point. I never intended to tell him in the first place. I laughed and shook my head. "Taylor, he's all but insane with grief, thinking he's going to lose you right now… just, cut him some slack." I repeated instead.

Then he blinked, and I could see he got it.

“Oh. Ugh. _Please_. He thinks I should kill our baby and replace it with some generic substitute? Artificial insemination?” He was mad now. “Why would I want to have some stranger’s baby? I suppose it just doesn’t make a difference? Any baby will do?”

“I told you, idiot,” I muttered. “He's close to breaking point kind of crazy, right now.”

He leaned torward me. “Why would he say that?"

“Because he wants you to live, you idjit.” I snorted, rolling my eyes to the ceiling in exasperation. "Tell me, if situations were reversed; you wouldn't offer him the same."

His face softened then, and he sank back against the pillows, looking exhausted.

He stared off to the side when she spoke, not talking to me at all. “He would do anything for me. And I’m hurting him so much.… But what is he thinking? That I would trade _this,_ ” his hand traced across his belly, “for some stranger’s...” he mumbled the last part, and then his voice trailed off. His eyes were wet.

“You don’t have to hurt him,” I whispered. "Just… try to understand him a little more, dude." I urged. "You know him better than anyone, you knew he would react by beating himself up, worrying and guilting himself over the danger he thinks he put you in. That's Jake's go to reaction." I scoffed gently.

"This was a thousand-to-one odds, Taylor… more than." I said, resting my hand gently on his stomach. “You can make him happy again, Taylor. Just let him in a little, because I really think he’s losing it, right now. Honestly, I do.”

He didn’t seem to be listening; his hand made small circles on his battered stomach around mine, while he chewed on his lip. It was quiet for a long time. I wondered how long Jake would be able to keep Zahra away. 

“There isn’t much you wouldn’t do for me, either, is there?” He finally sighed. “I really don’t know why you bother. I don’t deserve either of you.”

“Come on, Taylor; you know that isn't true.” I groaned. "You know we're all one big, fucked up, reject family here… we all care. We'll all do everything we can for you."

"Except trust that I know what I'm doing." He snorted.

"Well, you do kinda have a track record of _not_ knowing what you're doing." I said with an exaggerated grimace.

“Not this time.” He laughed. “I wish I could explain it to them right so that they would understand. I can’t hurt him,” he pointed to his stomach, “any more than I could pick up a gun and shoot you, or Jordan, or my dad. I love him.”

“Why do you always have to love the things which are bad for you, Taylor?”

“I don’t think I do.”

I covered my mouth to hide my grin. “Trust me.”

I started to get to my feet.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to let the others know they can come back. I would really like for you to let Mike give you some more thorough checks, please… because if I'm gonna be godfather, I wanna know he's as safe as can be.” I said, winking when he beamed a sickly looking grin at me.

He held out her thin hand, gripping mine weakly. “Thankyou.”

“I'll be back later, okay?” I said, holding up my finger warningly. "I wanna hear some good things from Mike."

"Does that mean you're going to stop avoiding him and actually talk to him?" Taylor quipped quickly, as I paused and bit my lip.

"If you let him take better care of you, then yes." I promised.

“Where are you going?” He asked, frowning at me worriedly.

“Just to talk to the others quickly, let them know what we've agreed.” I said, winking playfully. "And then I'm gonna run my perimeter. Sean was told by the council this morning that your choice to become a vampire was none of the Taino's business… but I don't want to take any chances."

“Will you come back again? Before...”

“I’m not going to be far, Taylor.” I snorted. "Besides, I need to come back and check you're keeping your end of the deal." I said.

He nodded. “Okay… I'll see if Mike can help me out at all, maybe help me lay down or something and see if he can think of a way to help me eat something…"

"Good boy." I teased, winking as I headed for the door. I was suddenly very nervous about this deal, my stomach flipping at the thought of talking to Mike. I remembered the collar, and felt a burst of hope that perhaps things _could_ go in my favour.

“Bye,” he whispered behind me. “See you soon, Diego.”

“Sure, sure,” I laughed on my way out. "Get some rest, assbutt." I called back over my shoulder.

I headed out the front door, trotting down the steps. Before I made it to the bottom, they were converged around me, about to race each other inside. "Whoa, whoa, whoa; calm your asses a second." I said, spreading my arms to keep them at bay. "Taylor has agreed to let Mike check him over a little more often and a little more thoroughly; for the sake of the baby." I said, looking pointedly at Zahra. I knew damn well that was her priority; and if she thought it would help, she'd support it. "He has also promised to try and explain things better to you, Jake, so you don't feel so left out and helpless."

I turned towards him, watching his face fall as he listened to everything that had passed between us in my thoughts. "If you keep fighting him, you're going to make it worse. Stop berating yourself, stop being an ass and _help_ him."

"I've been tryin' to help-"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "You've been trying to _tell_ him. Nobody tells Taylor anything, you know that." I said. "He needs you to make him feel like you're with him in this; not that he's alone. He's carrying a piece of _you_ … to him; that's the single most amazing thing in the world." I explained. "So just… try and help him out a bit more, by putting yourself in his shoes, yeah?"

I looked around them all, saving Mike for last. He was looking at me with something close to a grin, pleased with the headway I'd made, I could tell. "Stop fighting each other… and help him through this." I said, stepping aside so they could get back to him.

Mike was last, his gaze lingering on mine for a moment longer, before he nodded and headed in after the others.

I exhaled the breath I'd been holding, biting my lip at the overwhelming urge to follow after him.

I shook my head to clear it, trotting around to the edge of the house, where I stripped down; not caring who might be watching, and started running. I blurred into wolf mid-stride.

I was expecting the familiar silence in my head, the stifling silence of having no pack behind me. So I yelped and ground to a sudden halt, when I heard the whisper of a thought instead.

 _Abomination._

I whipped my head towards the river, growling as I took off after the errant thought. The fact that he'd broken my perimeter was enough of a reason for me to attack, but it was all there in his head.

Sean had seen everything. Taylor’s mottled stomach; his raspy voice: _he’s strong, that’s all_. The burning man in Jake’s face: watching him sicken and waste away… seeing it hurting him; Zahra crouched over Taylor’s tired body.

His fury was like a silent shout in my head. Wordless. Boundless.

It was almost dark; the clouds covered the sunset completely. I risked darting across the freeway in my chase and made it without being seen.

I caught up about ten miles out of Hartfeld, in a clearing left by the loggers. It was out of the way, wedged between two spurs of the mountain, where no one would see us. Two Alpha's facing off, as Sean wheeled around to face me.

 _Traitor! You dare come back on our land?_ Sean sneered, before throwing his head back and howling.

I knew I didn't have long before his pack descended on us. I needed to be ready to leave by then, I couldn't take them all. 

_What were you even doing there? The Council told you to stand down!_ I snarled.

 _I came to make peace._ He spat the word like it was dirty, like it pained him physically. _The Council insisted… but that was before. They don't know about that…_ **_thing_ ** _._

 _That_ **_baby_ ** _is none of your concern!_ I snapped, snarling back at him.

Sean’s hackles were sticking straight up, and he was growling in an unbroken stream as he paced back and forth around the top of the clearing. Andy and Kyle moved like shadows as they fell in behind him, their ears flat against the sides of their head.

 _Diego…_ Andy called, torn between horror at what Sean had seen and familial loyalty; his imprinting on my sister seemed to be good for something at least. _What the hell_ **_is_ ** _that..?_

 _It's a baby. Nothing more, nothing less._ I replied, my lips curling to reveal my teeth as the rest of the pack fell in around us; blocking my exit.

The whole circle was agitated, on their feet and snarling in low bursts.

At first their anger was undefined, and I thought I was done for. But then the unfocused confusion of thoughts began to move together.

_How can this be? What does it mean? What will it be?_

_Not safe. Not right. Dangerous._

_Unnatural. Monstrous. An abomination._

_We can’t allow it._

The pack was pacing in synchronization now, thinking in synchronization, all… but two others. I stood at the centre of their ring as two large shapes moved to flank me, while the pack circled around us.

_The treaty does not cover this._

_This puts everyone in danger._

I tried to understand the spiraling voices, tried to follow the curling pathway the thoughts made to see where they were leading, but it wasn’t making sense. The pictures in the center of their thoughts were Sean's pictures; the very worst of them.

Taylor’s bruises, Jake’s face as he burned.

_They fear it, too._

_But they won’t do anything about it._

_Protecting Taylor McKenzie._

_We can’t let that influence us._

_The safety of our families, of everyone here, is more important than one human._

_If they won’t kill it, we have to._

_Protect the tribe._

_Protect our families._

_We have to kill it before it’s too late._

I snarled as I struggled to focus, to block out the cacophany of voices.

 _No time to waste_ , Kyle thought.

 _It will mean a fight_ , Julian cautioned. _A bad one._

 _We’re ready_ , Andy insisted.

 _We’ll need surprise on our side_ , Sean thought.

 _If we catch them divided, we can take them down separately. It will increase our chances of victory_ , Kyle thought, starting to strategize now.

I shook my head, taking two slow steps forward. I felt unsteady there; like the circling wolves were making me dizzy. The wolves beside me stepped up, too. Their shoulders pushed against mine on either side, propping me up.

 _Wait_ , I thought.

The circling paused for one beat, and then they were pacing again.

 _There’s little time_ , Sean said.

 _No._ I thought firmly, ignoring him as he snarled at me. The pack stopped pacing. _Any one of you, tries to go for any one of_ **_them_ ** _… and you'll have to go through_ **_me_ ** _._ I promised, emphasising my words with a deep growl.

 _You would endanger all, for the sake of your bloodsucker lover?_ Sean sneered. The pack flinched as one, and I firmly ignored each one of them. They were not born to judge me.

 _It has nothing to do with my personal feelings for Mike._ I insisted. _It has to do with right and wrong. What you think, is wrong. So I stand against you._ I growled and crouched low to the ground, expecting his attack.

_This is a danger to every human in the area. We don’t know what kind of creature the Darwins have bred, but we know that it is strong and fast-growing. And it will be too young to follow any treaty. Remember the newborn vampires we fought? Wild, violent, beyond the reach of reason or restraint. Imagine one like that, but protected by_

_the Darwins_. Sean yelled to his pack, fuelling their fury and their hatred.

 _You don’t know—_ I tried to interrupt.

 _We don’t know_ , he agreed. _And we can’t take chances with the unknown in this case. We can only allow the Darwins to exist while we’re absolutely sure that they can be trusted not to cause harm. This… thing cannot be trusted_.

I tried to reason with the pack. _They don’t like it any more than we do._ They will teach it.

Sean pulled Zahra’s face, her protective crouch, from his mind and put it on

display for everyone. _Some are ready to fight for it, no matter what it is._ He snarled.

 _It’s just a baby, for crying out loud_! I growled.

 _Not for long_ , Michelle whispered.

 _Diego's right. This isn't our business._ Tom said from my right. _We shouldn't get involved in this_.

 _You’re making it into something bigger than it is,_ I argued with Sean _. The only one who’s in danger here is Taylor_.

 _Again by his own choice,_ Sean said. _But this time his choice affects us all. It might even affect Andrea-_

 _Don't bring her into this!_ Tom snarled viciously, his hackles raising as he glared at Sean.

 _Enough._ I said firmly. _You need to leave this alone. It has nothing to do with you; it will never affect the Taino_.

_We can’t take that chance. We won’t allow a blood drinker to hunt on our lands._

_Then tell them to leave,_ the wolf on my left said. It was Miles. Of course.

_And inflict the menace on others? When blood drinkers cross our land, we destroy them, no matter where they plan to hunt. We protect everyone we can._

_This is crazy_ , I said. _You're hatred and fear have totally clouded your judgement… I don't know what happened, Sean, but whatever you think; I will stand between you and the Darwins. I will not let you hurt them_!

 _I won't put our families were at risk_. Sean growled back at me, taking a slow step forward.

 _You still intend to kill an innocent human then_? I asked bitterly. _At least you're not trying to use me to do it this time._

There were no words, but the silence was full of meaning

 _What do you mean?_ Amdy demanded. I let all my memories flow; showing them the months they'd been forbidden to transform. _Why did_ **_none_ ** _of you find that order suspicious?_ I demanded. _Why would_ **_none_ ** _of you think that it was more than coincidence that I disappeared right then?_

 _Sean_ , Michelle thought. _Tell us this isn't true_. She was pleading with him, but the evidence was irrefutable, as was her disgust.

I turned toward her, about to reply, when I felt Sean’s teeth cut into my flank, dragging me back. He'd launched at me the second my attention turned toward her.

I howled in pain and fury and turned on him.

 _Stop_! He ordered in the double timbre of the Alpha.

 _I will not!_ I roared back, howling as I snarled at him. _You will never control me again; and you will_ **_never_ ** _get near the Darwins_ . _I am Diego Ricardo Ortiz Soto; and I will_ **_never_ ** _allow you to harm one of my family!_


	11. Rise of the Alpha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, another addition; sadly brings us one step closer to hiatus but... i am trying
> 
> I had a lot happen.  
> A LOT.
> 
> Between the catfishing and everything else; its really got me down. Bad down - like, i cant even manage ten words atm down...
> 
> But enough from me  
> I am trying to get things finished and get back  
> I promise
> 
> X Our love to you all x

**Rise of the Alpha**

  
  


The pack was silent, as I slowly straightened, standing a full head taller than Sean at this point.

He turned his gaze away from me. _You see now?_ He demanded of them. _Diego has betrayed the Taino. Not only has he allowed one to… sully him._ He sneered derogatively. _But he has turned his back on his people entirely! He claims the Darwin’s; the bloodsuckers as his pack, his family… he is as guilty as they are in this now_.

 _It is against everything you stand for to take a human life._ I snarled, my teeth flashing in the moonlight. _Yet even before this baby came to exist, you were plotting just that. For three months you tried to bend me to your will, to make me your goddamn assassin._ I sniffed, shaking my head at him. _You care nothing for peace… you just want to destroy the Darwin’s._

Sean paced in agitation as the pack murmured among themselves, a wave of noise in the background of our argument. _Making an exception to that code is a bleak thing. We will all mourn for what we do tonight._ He finally said. _Before we can rid our land of the bloodsucker menace, we must destroy a former brother. One who has betrayed us all… his lies confuse you all now, but he is the one who has torn this pack apart with his infatuation for the bloodsuckers!_

 _Tonight_ ? Miles repeated, shocked. _Sean; I think we should talk about this some more. Consult with the Elders, at least. You can’t seriously mean for us to—_

_We can’t afford your tolerance for the Darwins now. There is no time for debate. You will do as you are told, Miles._

Miles’s front knees folded, and his head fell forward under the weight of the Alpha’s command. Sean paced in a tight circle around the three of us.

 _Diego hasn’t lied!_ Tom roared, outraged at Miles’ enforced obedience. _I was there for myself that night, I saw his return and I have spoken to him since!_ He said, ignoring Sean’s warning growl. _I believe in Diego; if he says they will teach this creature, then they will. It is not our call to end a life, human; or otherwise._

I felt a rush of gratitude for Tom, relieved that not all of my former brothers would think the worst of me; just because I followed my heart.

 _That is not your call to make!_ Sean snarled. _The safety of the Taino, of all humans in Cedar Cove; rests on my shoulders! I told you to stay away from him; and I will not tolerate this kind of insubordination! Fall in!_ His voice rang with the double voice of the Alpha toward the end, and Tom bowed his head beneath the weight of its force.

 _You’re going to destroy the pack!_ I roared at him, snarling at his casual control of the others. _Your abuse of the role of Alpha is what led to my leaving in the first place!_ I accused, flashing forth memories of the orders he’d subdued me with, the subliminal orders which he’d tried to destroy mine and Taylor’s friendship; in the name of an imprint which was never even there in the first place. _What you did to us was wrong! What you’re doing now is wrong! Sean, what kind of madness are you living with to not see that?!_

Sean snarled at me, lunging forward and barely missing my leg as I skipped backward. _You had a duty to your people, and you turned your back on it; for your infatuation with the leeches!_

 _Shut up!_ I barked back. _I never even let Mike in, until after you had already driven me away! I was supposed to be their enemy! But they welcomed me into their home and cared for me; they let me find myself, when I believed I had been betrayed by everything I knew!_ I snarled, throwing out images of my broken relationship with my father, the times I’d cried when alone and the kindness which all of the Darwin’s had shown me in my original time with them. _I hadn’t anticipated that my heart would lead me to one of them… but it did. And my father, approves! So you have no say in the matter, Sean!_

The pack whispered among themselves as I showed them images of my talk with my father, before Sean sent me away. His blessing of my relationship, budding as it had been then. I showed them his visits to the house, where he would talk to me for a time, before chatting with Mike as well.

 _You seek to confuse the pack before the fight, so you may pick us off so much more easily!_ Sean accused.

 _No, you idiot!_ I sighed, shaking my head vehemently. _I don’t seek to do anything but let the truth be known! The Darwins, Taylor’s baby… they are not your enemies!_

Tom’s knees trembled; he struggled to hold myself upright while the voice of the Alpha lashed at his will.

 _That creature is no pretty baby, Diego… it is a killer._ Sean growled. _Taylor will be only the first of its victims, if we don’t act._

The pack rumbled in nervous agreement. The tension had everyone’s fur standing on end. The pacing was quicker, and the sound of the paws against the brackish floor was sharper, toenails tearing into the soil.

Only Tom and Miles were still, the eye in the center of a storm of bared teeth and flattened ears. Miles’s nose was almost touching the ground, bowed under Sean’s commands. Tom’s was only just higher. I felt their pain at the coming disloyalty. For them this was a betrayal; during that one day of alliance, fighting beside Jake Darwin, Miles had truly become the vampire’s friend. Then too, Tom had come to see them as friends, when they’d treated him and cared for him after he’d been injured… and something more, I realised. He approved of my relationship, as fully as he’d told me earlier. I was touched that he would trust me and my judgement so completely.

There was very little resistance in either of them, however. They would obey no matter how much it hurt them. They had no other choice.

And what choice did I have? When the Alpha spoke, the pack followed. Would I now have to fight with my former pack? Should I start the fight here, now? And hope that I could take enough of them out that the Darwin’s would be safe?

Sean had pushed his authority too far with me; he’d broken our bonds of brotherhood, of pack and family, loose though they had always been to me. He really believed it was their duty to destroy Taylor and the ‘monster’ he carried. He really believed they had no time to waste. He believed it enough to die for it. 

But I knew it was wrong.

I saw that he would face Jake himself; Jake’s ability to read his thoughts made him the greatest threat in Sean’s mind. Sean would not let someone else take on that danger.

He saw Kele as the second-greatest opponent, which is why he was assigning him to Andy. He knew that he had the best chance of any of the pack to win that fight. He’d left the easiest targets for the younger wolves and Michelle. Little Quinn was no danger without her future vision to guide her, and he knew from our time of alliance that Grace was not a fighter. Mike would be more of a challenge, but his hatred of violence would hinder him.

I felt sicker than Miles as I watched Sean plan it out, trying to work the angles to give each member of the pack the best chance of survival.

 _You're sick_ . I growled lowly, shaking my head in disgust. _You sit here planning all this… they're peaceful! They have hearts bigger than yours!_ I yelled.

Mike Darwin. Bad enough that he wanted to hurt him anyway, that he had in fact; ordered _me_ to kill him on sight… no he was stood there, taunting me with his perceived weaknesses. Like any of them knew a damn thing about him. Mike might hate violence, but he wouldn't hesitate to defend his family. To defend _me._

Mike was good. Good as any human the tribe set out to protect. Maybe better; most _definitely_ better than Sean right now. The others, too. It was true though, Mike _would_ hate fighting back, if it were merely to save his own life. To save his family, though? Nothing would stand in his way.

That’s why the pack thought they would be able to kill him; because he wouldn’t want _them,_ his enemies, to die. 

Any other time, they might have been right. But I wouldn't let it come to that now anyway.

This was wrong.

 _The tribe comes first._ Sean snarled, as he prowled around the inside of the packs tight ring.

 _None of this is about the tribe, Sean_ . I scoffed. _This is all down to your hatred… and your blame for them affecting your life. I could understand, if they did it intentionally. But they didn't!_ I said, growling when he whipped toward me. _They were forced to be what they are! None of them chose it! The only thing they've ever done is try to use their enforced immortality for the good of humans!_

 _You're blinded by your obsession for the doctor leech_.

 _And you're blinded by your hatred!_ I countered.

Sean snarled and stopped pacing in front of me. He stared into my eyes and a deep growl slid between his teeth.

 _You choose now, Diego_. He snarled. _This is your last chance to join your brothers again, as you should be; by our sides…_ he pressed, as I stepped back and shook my head.

 _I will not follow you._ I insisted, narrowing my eyes.

Sean glared at me a full ten seconds, before he exhaled a deep and weary breath. _Then you'll die here, before you can warn your new friends._ He said. _Tom. Miles. It's time to fight with your pack… Diego is our enemy._

Tom and Miles both whimpered as they bowed low to the ground. No member of the pack could refuse the Alpha.

Sean started moving the others into formation while I glanced around uneasily. The pack wasn't happy; it didn't sit right with them… but they would obey. Tom and Miles were at my sides, straining against the order which they both tried to refuse.

I could feel the drive, the need, to get back to the Darwin's. The compulsion grew, and I fought it uselessly, not wanting to open myself to attack or to take the fight so much closer to them.

Miles whined quietly. He was suffering badly, determined not to follow the orders he'd been given.

There was fear in the pack, not so much for self but for the whole. They couldn’t imagine that they would all make it out alive tonight. Which brothers would they lose? Which minds would leave them forever? Which grieving families would they be consoling in the morning?

Which of their losses; would be down to me?

My mind began to close itself off from theirs, I was not a part of their pack anymore. I needed to keep them out, to plan my own strategy now. I shook out my coat, glancing around and trying to decide who was the biggest threat; after Sean, of course. Tom touched his nose to my side once, comforting even through the command which weighed him down.

It was harder than I'd anticipated to throw them all out of my head while I was among them; or perhaps because of their agitation. Their minds were filled with their challenge, their assignment. They remembered together the nights they’d watched the Darwins practicing for the fight with the newborns. Craig Hsaio was strongest, but Kele would be the bigger problem. He moved like a lightning strike; power and speed and death rolled into one. How many centuries’ experience did he have? Enough that all the other Darwins looked to him for guidance.

Of course, I knew more than they did now. It became more urgent that I separated my mind from theirs.

 _I… do not agree with this_. Tom hissed. There was more outrage in his mind than most of the others. His knees shook, before he slowly began to rise.

 _Diego_ ? Tom murmured to me quietly. _You need to hurry… go warn them._

I just shook my head. I couldn’t leave now; the pack would attack the second my back was turned. 

One foot forward, then another. Miles was dragging behind Michelle She ignored him while planning with the others, and I could see that she’d rather leave him out of the fight. There was a maternal edge to her feelings for her younger brother. She wished Sean would send him home. Miles didn’t register Michelle’s doubts. He was adjusting to the puppet strings.

 _Maybe if you stopped resisting…_ Julian whispered to him.

 _Diego, go! Trust me, I'll hold them back long enough for you to get a head start..._ Tom was working himself up; like a pep talk before a big game. I could see his plan. He was almost free of the Alpha command, almost free of the puppet strings which had once smothered me.

I shook my head. It wasn't right to leave him here, to make him fight his brothers. I was already considered a traitor, they wouldn't blink at fighting me. But Tom shouldn't have to endure that.

 _Diego_ ! Tom growled. _You seriously think I'm gonna stand here and watch them attack you? Get out of here and warn the Darwin's!_

My feet shifted restlessly. The urge to run back was strong, but it felt wrong to leave like this. To leave Tom to face the tide of their fury.

 _There’s no point arguing it,_ Tom insisted again.

He was almost free. I whined, looking around the pacing circle of wolves and wondering which of them would be the first to fly at me. The first I would have to fight.

But Tom was right. I couldn't keep waiting. I was straight and strong as I stalked to where Sean stood, planning with Andy and Kyle. He turned at the sound of my advance, and his eyes narrowed.

 _I_ **_will_ ** _stand against you_ , I told him again. _I will fight til my last breath against your madness._

He stared at me, furious. _You would choose your enemies over your family_?

 _They **are** my family! _ I snarled, allowing all my memories of their gentleness, their kindness and their amazing lives flood my mind. _They have never been our enemies. I didn't know that until I left the pack, after your abuse of the control you wield! I didn’t see that… blinded by your hatred. But they aren't the same as the monsters in the legends we are raised to fear. My father has accepted that. This is your last chance to do so too._

 _This isn’t about them,_ he snarled at me. _This is about that filthy doctor. You would destroy the pack, for your leech lover-!_

They were hard words, but not entirely true words. I sucked in a big gulp of air, breathing them in.

 _You're wrong. And in your blind hatred, you’re going to destroy the pack over him_ , _Sean_ . I said. _I will stand between you; I will fight to the death, with anyone who comes for them! And if I should fall, and you succeed... then no matter how many of them_ **_do_ ** _survive tonight, they will always have murder on their hands._

_We have to protect our families!_

_I know what you’ve decided, Sean_ . I shook my head. _But you don’t decide for me, not anymore._

 _Diego; you can’t turn your back on the tribe_.

I heard the double echo of his Alpha command, but it was weightless this time. It no longer applied to me. He clenched his jaw, futilely trying to force me to respond to his words.

I stared into his furious eyes. _Ortiz Soto’s son was not born to follow Marcus Gayle’s._ I repeated from the night I'd accepted my birthright. 

_Is this it, then, Diego Soto?_ His hackles rose and his muzzle pulled back from his teeth. Andy and Kyle snarled and bristled at his sides. _Even if you can defeat me, the pack will never follow you!_

I growled, but snorted at his feet.

 _I’m not going to fight you, Sean_ . I said. _Not unless you approach our land. I will protect what's mine; and everything within it._

_Then what’s your plan? I’m not stepping aside so that you can protect the vampire spawn at the tribe’s expense._

I rolled my eyes. _I’m not telling you to step aside._

_If you order them to follow you—_

_I’ll_ **_never_ ** _take anyone’s will away from him._

His tail whipped back and forth as he recoiled from the judgment in my words.

Then he took a step forward so that we were toe to toe, his exposed teeth inches from mine. I hadn’t noticed till this moment that I’d grown taller than him.

 _There cannot be more than one Alpha. The pack has chosen me. Will you rip us apart tonight? Will you turn on your brothers? Or will you end this insanity and join us again?_ Every word was layered with command, but it couldn’t touch me.

Alpha blood ran undiluted in my veins.

I could see why there was never more than one Alpha male in a pack. My body was responding to the challenge. I could feel the instinct to defend my claim rising in me. The primitive core of my wolf-self tensed for the battle of supremacy.

I focused all my energy to control that reaction. I would not fall into a pointless, destructive fight with Sean. He was wrong yes, but I was not like him. I would not fight unless I had to.

_There is only one Alpha for this pack. I’m not contesting that. I’m just choosing to go my own way._

_Do you belong to a coven now, Diego?_

I barked a surprised laugh.

 _I suppose I do, Sean_ . He growled at the warmth which the thought inspired me with. _And I will say this, one last time..._

He shrunk back as he felt the weight of the Alpha in my tone. It affected him more than his touched me. Because I had been born to lead him.

 _I_ **_will_ ** _stand between you and the Darwins. I won’t just watch while the pack kills innocent people. The pack is better than that._ I sneered, growling quietly as I stared down my muzzle at him. _Give up whatever madness has taken you… and lead them in the right direction, Sean_.

I turned my back on him then, and a chorus of howls tore into the air around me.

Digging my nails into the earth, I raced away from the uproar I’d caused. Tom sprang into the path behind me, snarling at the others as I fled. I knew I didn’t have much time. At least Michelle was the only one with a prayer of outrunning me, and with Tom's help, I had a head start.

The howling faded with the distance, and I took comfort as the sound continued to rip apart the quiet night. They weren’t after me yet.

My heart raced frantically, I needed to warn everyone before the pack could get past Tom's surprise defense and stop me. If the Darwins were prepared, it might give Sean a reason to rethink this before it was too late. I sprinted toward the white house I had come to love, leaving my old life behind me. There was a strange sense of excitement building in me. I felt my heart soar at the thought of a future where I could be who I wanted to be, _with_ who I wanted to be with.

Today had begun like any other day. Patrol, protect, and then talking with the Darwin's… okay, Taylor's budding baby bump wasn't exactly expected but, it was Taylor. He always found the weirdest parts of myths and legends and dragged them into the light. I was kind of resigned to him doing the unexpected and the unexplained at this point. 

But the pack… 

How did everything change so completely, turn all surreal? How did everything get messed up and twisted so that I was here now, a lone Alpha having to stand between them; and my family?

The sound I’d been fearing interrupted my dazed thoughts; it was the soft impact of big paws against the ground, chasing after me. I threw myself forward, rocketing through the black forest. I just had to get close enough so that Jake could hear the warning in my head. Michelle wouldn’t be able to stop me alone.

And then I heard a second pair of paws. Despair gnawed at me, made me pour every ounce of speed I had into my legs, desperate just to warn them all. Maybe with enough warning, they could escape; flee to some other country and keep each other safe.

My stride broke as I caught the mood of the thoughts behind me. Not anger, but enthusiasm. Not chasing… but following. I staggered two steps before it evened out again.

_Wait up. My legs aren’t as long as yours._

**_Miles_ ** ! I yelped. _What do you think you’re_ **_doing_ ** _? Go_ **_home_ ** _!_

He didn’t answer, but I could feel his excitement as he kept right on after me. I could see through his eyes as he could see through mine. The night scene was bleak for me; full of fear and despair about the war coming to destroy my family. For him, it was hopeful.

I hadn’t realized I was slowing down, but suddenly he was on my flank, running in position beside me.

_I am not joking, Miles! This is no place for you. Get out of here._

The gangly tan wolf snorted. _I’ve got your back, Diego. I think you’re right. And I’m not going to stand behind Sean when—_

_Oh yes, the hell you are, going to stand behind Sean! Get your furry butt back to Hartfeld and do what Sean tells you to do._

_No_.

 **_Go_ ** _, Miles_!

_Is that an order, Diego?_

The question brought me up short. I skidded to a halt, my nails gouging furrows in the mud. I turned and saw another wolf trot into view, chocolate brown and undeniably smug.

 _Tom? What the hell are you doing here?_ I demanded.

 _They're my friends too, and so are you._ He snorted, shaking his head as if I were being particularly dense. _And you didn't answer me..._

I wrinkled my nose, the closest I could come to a frown right now. _I’m not ordering anyone to do anything. I’m just telling you what you already know._

He plopped down on his haunches beside me. _I’ll tell you what_ **_I_ ** _know… I know that it’s awful quiet. Haven’t you noticed_?

I blinked. My tail swished nervously as I realized what he was thinking underneath the words. It wasn’t quiet in one sense. Howls still filled the air, far away in the west.

 _They haven’t phased back_ , Miles said quietly.

I knew that. The pack would be on red alert now. They would be using the mind link to see all sides clearly. But I couldn’t hear what they were thinking, I'd known that would happen, as soon as I was away from Sean. But I _could_ hear Miles and Tom. The question was; _why?_

 _Looks to me like separate packs aren’t linked._ Tom said, still smug. _Guess there was no reason for our fathers to know that before. ’Cause there was no reason for separate packs before. Never enough wolves for two. Wow. It’s really quiet. Sort of eerie._

 _But also kinda nice, don’t you think?_ Miles chipped in, like this was some wonderful development for them. _I bet it was easier, like this, for Ortiz and Tom and Marcus. Not such a babble with just three._

 _Shut up, Miles_. I snapped, glaring between then two of them.

_Yes, sir._

_Stop that!_ I whined. _There are not two packs. There is_ **_the_ ** _pack, and then there is_ **_me_ ** _._ I sniffed. _That’s all. So you can both go home now_.

 _If there aren’t two packs, then why can we hear each other and not the rest?_ Tom asked, still way too smug for my liking _. I think that when you turned your back on Sean, that was a pretty significant move. A change. Sean covered it up as best he could, so the others wouldn’t find out… but when you did it in front of them._ His wolfy shoulders rolled in a rough approximation of a shrug. _And so, when we followed you away… I think that was significant, too._

 _You’ve got a point,_ I conceded. _But what can change can change right back._

Tom got up and started trotting toward the east. _No time to argue about it now. We should be moving right along before Sean gets the pack together…_

He was right about that part. There was no time for this argument. I fell into a run again, not pushing myself quite as hard. Tom stayed on my heels, holding the second’s traditional place on my right flank.

 _I can run somewhere else,_ he thought, his nose dipping a little. _I didn’t follow you because I was after a promotion_.

 _Run wherever you want. Makes no difference to me._ And it really didn't, I just wasn't used to having company in this form.

There was no sound of pursuit, but we all stepped it up a little at the same time.

I was worried now. I’d known I wouldn’t be able to tap into the pack’s mind, had anticipated that was going to make this more difficult; because I’d have no more advance warning of attack than the Darwins. But I hadn’t planned on having anyone join me.

 _We’ll have to run patrols.._ . I said slowly. _I’ve made a perimeter. Tom knows where it is, if the two of you run the line for now, I’ll head in and warn the others._

 _And what do we do if the pack challenges us?_ My eyes tightened at Tom’s question. _Attack our brothers? Your sister?_ He asked of Miles.

_No… we sound the alarm and fall back._

_Good answer_. I admitted, but it raised another. _But then what?_ _Do you really think_..?

 _I know,_ he agreed. Less confident now. _I don’t think I can fight them... but they won’t be any happier with the idea of attacking us than we are with attacking them. That might be enough to stop them right there. Plus, they’re three down now_.

 _Stop being so…_ Took me a minute to decide on the right word. _Optimistic. It’s getting on my nerves._

_No problem. You want me to be all doom and gloom, or just shut up?_

_Just shut up._

_Can do._

_Really? Doesn’t seem like it._

He was finally quiet. Tom laughed. _I think I’m going to like being in this pack._ He snorted.

 _You can shut up as well._ I grumbled. This hadn’t been in my plans. We ran in silence for a moment, and then we were across the road and moving through the forest that ringed the Darwins’ house; past my line. Could Jake hear us yet? I’d never thought to ask about his range before.

 _Maybe we should be thinking something like, “We come in peace.”_ Miles suggested.

_Go for it._

_Jake?_ He called the name tentatively. _Jake, you there? Okay, now I feel kinda stupid._

 _You sound stupid, too._ Tom laughed, barking one of his dumb laughs.

_Think he can hear us?_

_We were less than a mile out now._ I said. _So, I think so._ _Hey, Grandpa. If you can hear me; I’m coming in fast. We’ve got a problem._

I shouldn’t have been so pleased that Tom and Miles were both proud to be on the side of the Darwin’s.

Then we broke through the trees into the big lawn. The house was dark, but not empty. Jake stood on the porch between Craig and Kele. They were snow white in the pale light.

“Diego? Miles, Tom? What the hell’s goin’ on?”

I slowed and then let the other two fall back behind me as I phased back. Craig laughed at my nudity, while Kele politely turned away; but Jake barely reacted, merely tossing me my jeans.

To answer Jake’s question, I let my mind run over the confrontation with Sean while I pulled my jeans on. It was faster than talking. His eyes flit between Tom and Miles; and I realised they were thinking with me, filling in the gaps, showing the scene from another angle. We stopped when we got to the part about the “abomination,” because Jake hissed furiously and leaped off the porch.

“They wanna kill Taylor?” he snarled flatly.

Craig and Kele, not having heard the first part of the conversation, took his inflectionless question for a statement. They were right next to him in a flash, teeth exposed as they moved on us.

“Hey, quit snarling at me!” I griped, shoving at Craig’s shoulder irritably. “He doesn’t mean _them_! The others. The pack is coming.”

Craig and Kele rocked back on their heels; Craig turned to Jake while Kele kept his eyes locked on Tom and Miles.

“What’s their problem?” Craig demanded.

“Same as mine,” Jake hissed. “But they got their own plan to handle it. Get the others. An’ call Mike! He’s gotta get back here now.”

“Mike?” My heart twisted uneasily. They were separated. When the hell had he left?

“He ain’t far,” Jake said in the same dead voice as before.

“Miles, go take a look.” I said. “You can run the western perimeter… Tom, you take the eastern ring. If you see him, you phase and fill him in. Tell him to hurry and get his ass back here.”

“Will ya be in danger?” Jake asked of them.

Miles and Tom exchanged a glance.

“I don’t think they will.” I said, biting my lip uncertainly. I wasn’t used to factoring in others. “But maybe I should go. Just in case…” I offered.

“He reckons they’ll be less likely to challenge him,” Jake said, his eyes flitting to Miles as he whined quietly. “Says he’s just a kid to ‘em.”

I turned and frowned at the big tan wolf. “You’re just a kid to me, kid.” I griped, shaking my head. “Just… go, both of you; I need you to find Mike and hurry his dumb ass back here.”

Miles and Tom both dipped their heads, before they wheeled and darted into the darkness. I bit my lip, worried about them and Mike and hoping they’d be alright. “I should probably phase back shortly, so I can hear them…” I mumbled. I didn’t like that Mike was out there and I couldn’t do anything to protect him.

Jake and I stood facing each other in the dark meadow. I could hear Craig muttering into his phone. Kele was watching the place where Miles had vanished into the woods. Quinn appeared on the porch and then, after staring at me with anxious eyes for a long moment, she flitted to Kele’s side. I guessed that Zahra was inside with Taylor. Guarding him again; but from new dangers now.

“This ain’t the first time we owed ya our gratitude, Diego,” Jake whispered. “We’d never’ve asked this from ya ‘lil buddies.”

I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t exactly ask it of them either…” I scoffed, shaking my head at the darkness where they’d disappeared. “I tried to make them go back but, unless I order them to; I’m stuck with them… and I won’t be like Sean.”

He nodded. “Ya right ‘bout that.” He said. “Ya’d never be like him.”

I sighed heavily. “Is he doing okay?” I asked, waving toward the house.

“Better’n before,” he murmured. “He let Mike run some blood tests an’ do some other measurements… he’s got a better idea of how far along he is now.”

“Sorry I couldn’t do what you wanted.” I said, though he knew I only barely meant it.

“I know. I never really expected ya to, bein’ honest...” he sighed. “Desperate times, an’ all.”

“You had to try. I get it.” I said, offering my hand to him. 

He nodded, reaching forward and laying his cold hand in mine. “I won’t let them hurt him.” I promised, gripping his hand tightly. “Tom and Miles might not be able to fight the pack… but I can. And I will. I don’t care what it takes, or what it costs me. I will make sure you have the time you need to get him out of here, if that’s what you need… but you have to promise me, Jake…” I said, shaking my head as my throat closed, unable to speak the words. _Promise me you’ll make sure Mike gets away too._

Jake listened to the painful thought in my head and nodded slowly. “I promise.” He said quietly. “We’ll drag him, if need be.”

“Diego, would you be so kind as to tell me what’s happening?” Quinn asked. “I want to know what’s going on.”

I explained in clipped, emotionless sentences. “The pack thinks Taylor’s become a problem. They foresee potential danger from the baby. They feel it’s their duty to remove that danger. Tom and Miles disbanded from the pack to follow me, so I could warn you… Sean and the rest are planning to attack tonight.”

Quinn hissed, leaning toward Kele. Craig and Kele exchanged a glance, and then their eyes ranged across the trees.

“I should phase back, so they can keep in touch… if I stay nearby, Jake can keep you all informed.” I said, glancing up at the house longingly. “Um, don’t tell him too much. Stress is bad for babies, right? Just… tell him I’ll come and see him in a bit.” I said, as Jake nodded. Quinn darted forward and hugged me tightly, before stepping back and nodding her own confirmation.

With a sigh, I threw off my jeans again, ignoring Craig’s snicker of laughter as I stepped away from them all and let myself shift back onto all fours.

 _Nobody out here,_ Miles reported without my asking. _All’s quiet on the western front._

 _Same on the eastern line_ . Tom assured. _Miles, let’s make a loop._ He suggested, and the two of them began to run along my perimeter line, following the trail I’d laid down for them over the past few weeks.

“Mike’s on his way,” Craig said, as my eyes snapped towards him. “Twenty minutes, tops.” I whined, nudging his hand with my nose before cocking my head questioningly. Mike was the biggest target to Sean; if he were caught out there, alone…

“He’s comin’ in from the north…” Jake said, reading what I wanted to know from my thoughts.

“We should take up a defensive position,” Kele said.

Jake nodded. “‘S get inside.”

 _I’m going to find Mike and see him inside the perimeter._ I said. _If I get too far for you to hear my thoughts, listen for my howl._

“Will do, Pinky.”

They backed into the house, eyes flickering everywhere. Before they were inside, I turned and ran toward the north.

 _I’m still not finding much_ , Miles told me.

 _Me either, Kid, but that doesn’t mean we can stop now._ Tom replied. _Move fast; we don’t want them to have a chance to sneak past us._

Miles and Tom lurched forward in a sudden burst of speed.

We all ran in silence, and the minutes passed. I listened to the noises around them, concerned about what the pack might really do to them, considering the betrayal they would see their aiding me as. Of course, underneath my concern for them; was my fear for Mike. What was he doing out on his own, the idiot? I needed to make sure the pack didn’t find him, alone and defenseless against them all; too kind hearted to fight back. I raced for the northern border, streaking straight past and barely noticing Miles’ scent added to mine along the line.

After fifteen minutes of running in silence, I caught the approaching scent on the breeze, and I relaxed slightly. Mike was coming up fast, and I put on a spurt to circle around him and watch his back as he returned back home. 

_Heh, Diego’s got a boyfriend…_ Tom sniggered in his head, though I ignored both his and Miles’ childish snorting.

My breath caught as I finally caught sight of Mike on the approach, his eyes burning a bright gold as he streaked effortlessly through the trees. I was about to slow my pace, when I saw the shadow stalking almost silently behind him.

 _Holy shit, Diego! We’re coming to-_ Tom began, slamming on his brakes and wheeling around to come after me.

 _No! Hold the line! Make sure they’re safe!_ I roared back, growling as I increased my pace and dodged around Mike, colliding head first with the large black shadow which had been stalking him.

 _Diego!_ Miles and Tom both whined worriedly in my mind, but I ignored them, snarling as I bit at whatever flesh of Sean that I could reach. We tumbled through the trees, a snarling mass of limbs, teeth and fur.

Anxiously, I tried to glance back and see if Mike had been caught in the crossfire, only to growl when I saw he was paused mid stride; torn between coming to help and racing back to the house.

 _You can’t protect the leeches forever._ Sean snarled in my head, following my eyes. He imagined the pack catching up to Mike, tearing him to shreds.

 _Watch me_. I snarled back just as viciously, biting his foreleg hard and simultaneously ramming him into a tree. He yelped as I shoved away from him, whining at Mike urgently as I turned and began to lope toward him. I slowed and headbutted him quickly, nudging him toward the house. His eyes were still golden, sweeping over me worriedly, before they rose to look back at Sean, who was recovering quickly. I yelped and headbutted him again, growling as I flicked my tail irritably, looking back over my shoulder at Sean briefly with my lips curled over my teeth.

If that weren’t warning enough, nothing would get his ass moving again.

Mike was reluctant, but he started moving again, with me barely a step behind him,

 _Diego, we’re coming to meet you at the northern border; a show of strength will make him give up._ Tom said, as I rolled my eyes.

 _Yeah, or give the rest of the pack an easy in to the house…_ I snorted.

 _I don’t think the rest of the pack is here… I think he was just scouting, maybe even looking for us._ Miles chipped in, as his steps paused and then turned an abrupt one eighty. _But you’re right, we shouldn’t leave the place open… I’ll keep the line. Tom will meet you and you can see Mike in safely._ He said.

 _You aren’t freaked or creeped out that I chose to be with a vampire?_ I asked, surprised by his easy offer.

 _He’s a good guy._ Tom said indifferently. 

_Yeah. That’s one of the reasons why we’re right about this._ Miles agreed cheerfully.

I huffed, chasing after Mike as he raced through the trees; listening to the light tread of Sean’s attempts to catch up to us. It was admittedly hard to concentrate on what was behind me, when Mike was right in front of me; especially considering that my head was eye height with-

 _Ha, being chased by certain death and Diego’s still thinking about chasing ass._ Tom chortled, as I growled quietly.

 _At least he has his priorities._ Miles snickered in agreement.

 _You guys are way too happy. Get out of my head_. I snarked.

 _Ha, like you can make us._ Tom thought smugly, his pace slowing as he reached the northern border of my perimeter, trotting back and forth along the line as he waited for us to reach the safety of our land.

I sighed. He was kind of right. I couldn’t make them leave without an order, and they both knew damn well that I wasn’t going to give them any.

 _Oooh… Diego’s got a boyfriend! Diego’s got a boyfriend!_ Tom began to chant, sensing he’d won.

 _Shut up._ I grumbled. If it were possible, I would have blushed. At least nobody else could hear him right now.

I followed Mike through the trees, faintly in awe of the graceful way he could weave between trees without even seeming to think about it. A few moments later, we crossed the familiar scent of my perimeter line; where Tom was waiting for us. I dug my nails into the dirt, wheeling to face the darkness beyond the border I’d established for the Darwin’s land.

I glanced back to see Mike hesitate, turning back towards me. I whined, tipping my nose toward the house imploringly. His golden eyes faded slowly back to their natural brown, my heart faltering under his raw gaze. Then he nodded, and I sighed with relief as I watched him turn and speed back to the house

 _I’m close to the front drive_ , Miles whispered. _I’ll hop off the line and check he gets in okay; then I’ll get back to the border and come meet up with you._

 _Thanks, Miles_. I didn’t have to feign relief as I turned towards the darkness again; firmly placing my paws so that I was glaring into the darkness. Ready. Waiting.

 _I can feel him there…_ Tom whispered. _What’s he waiting for_? He wondered, as he mimicked my stance and braced himself between the Darwin’s house and the dark forest where we could both feel Sean lurking.

 _Not sure._ I wrinkled my nose, sensing his approach. _But I think we’re about to find out._

Sean prowled out of the shadows, a black shape stalking toward us slowly. _Tom. Miles._ His voice shook with the double tone of the Alpha. _You will return to the pack, now._ He ordered. 

Tom scoffed. _No, Tom will **not** return to the pack. You’re wrong to abuse the role of Alpha like you have. Tom is staying right… _ he plopped down on his haunches. _Here._

Sean growled at him, but sensed there was nothing he could do. He shifted his gaze to me. _Are you happy now, Diego? You’ve torn the pack apart, and for what? Some filthy-_

 _Shut up, Sean!_ I growled, my hackles rising as I lowered my head, anticipating an attack. _The only one whose torn anything apart is you, with your pig headed attitude!_

Sean’s lips curled away from his teeth. _And Michelle? You steal her brother from her, and what? She should just understand?_ He snarled.

 _He didn’t steal anyone! Tom and I followed because it was the right thing to do!_ Miles yelled in our heads, as I rolled my eyes.

 _There, happy? They’re big boys who made their own, if stupid, decisions for themselves._ I huffed, looking back at Sean and cocking my head. _You want to try and break through right now? Or do you want to casually retreat?_ I asked.

 _You’ll attack the second my back’s turned._ Sean accused.

I shook my head and sighed. _No, Sean._ I said sadly. _I’m not like you._

Sean flinched, but didn’t reply, his eyes flicking distrustfully between Tom and me.

And then Miles was howling. _Go home, Sean!_ He yelled as his howl pierced the night air. _This is the Darwin’s land; and you’re not welcome!_

 _Shut up, shut up, you idiot!_ I hissed, as Sean growled, but turned and bounded away. _They’re going to think the pack is coming!_

 _Oops_! He cut off mid-howl.

I wheeled and started loping in toward the house. _You two pick up the patrol again, Tom; just wait until Sean’s really gone before you join the loop… I’ll be back before midnight. Howl if you need me!_ I called, as I raced away. I phased mid leap through a bush, grabbing my jeans as I hurried around the house and tugged them on awkwardly as I ran.

“False alarm, false alarm!” I called as I ran up the porch in two large bounds. “Sorry…” I panted, as I stepped through the front door, which Quinn was holding open for me. “Miles is young. He forgets things. No one’s attacking. False alarm.”

When I got to the stairs, I could see Jake staring out of a dark window. I strolled in, worried that something had happened to Taylor while I was gone.

“There’s nothing out there… you got that?” I asked as I moved closer.

He nodded once.

“Is Taylor okay?” I asked.

Jake’s jaw tightened, but he nodded again.

“Okay, well…” I huffed. “This would be a lot easier if the communication wasn’t one way, you know.” I grumbled, choosing to ignore him as I turned towards the lounge where Taylor had been sat before. 

I saw a shudder run through his whole frame as I passed, he sighed and then moved to join me. “Thanks… for savin’ him.”

I raised a brow. “I didn’t do it for you, but you’re welcome.” I replied. I may have been slightly more snarky than I needed to be, but he wasn’t exactly helping my mood.

“I know… I’m jus’ grateful, all the same.” He said. “Ain’t sure I could’ve coped with losin’ him, too.” He said quietly.

I wheeled and pinned Jake against the wall. “That kind of bullshit thinking isn’t going to help him.” I hissed, too low for Taylor to hear. “I got him to open up, to let Mike examine him and to let you in. Now you get your goddamn head out of your ass and start giving him the support he needs!”

“‘S killin’ him.” Jake said bleakly.

“And you can mourn all you want after that happens.” I snarked. “But not before.”

Jake seemed to actually listen to that at least, his eyes found some shred of life and he nodded as I released him, taking a deep breath as he lead me into the room where Taylor was. “‘S a false alarm,” Jake explained in the same dead voice, though he was trying to inject some life into his tone, I could tell. “Miles ’s tellin’ Gayle off, an’ he forgot we were listenin’ for a signal. He’s young.”

“Nice to have toddlers guarding the fort,” Craig, grumbled.

“They’re doin’ us a service tonight, Craig,” Mike said, his tone unusually sharp. “At great personal sacrifice’n all.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m just jealous.” Craig pouted. “Wish I was out there.”

“The others don’t think Sean will attack now,” I said. “Not with us forewarned, and lacking three members of the pack.”

“Whadda _you_ think?” Mike asked, glancing up at me from Taylor’s side.

I tried not to blush under his gaze. “I think he got his ass handed to him tonight. I think he’s going to go away and regroup… maybe try again tomorrow.”

Mike nodded, seeming to accept my assumption. His eyes lingered on me for a short moment, before he returned his attention to Taylor. No one spoke. I realised then that Taylor was asleep, and Mike was taking another blood sample.

“Don’t jostle him! You’ll wake him up,” Zahra whispered.

Jake sighed.

“Zahra,” Mike murmured.

“Don’t start with me, Mike. We're letting you have your way; because your little pet's right, it's whats best for the baby, but don't give me any shit about it when I do say that enough is enough!”

I pretended not to notice Zahra's slur at me, it was probably one of the kinder things she'd said about me. 

It seemed like Zahra was talking in plurals now. Like she'd formed a pack of her own with Taylor and the baby. I rolled my eyes.

"You know, all this arguing only adds unecessary stress…" I said, moving closer to Taylor and sitting carefully beside him. He curled into my side with a sigh, which I assumed was due to my warmth. Mike flashed me an appreciative glance, as this made his job a lot easier, now Taylor was more relaxed.

An awkward silence erupted. I didn't care what hey thought at this point. The idea was to make the atmosphere better for Taylor. Why were they being so thick-headed about that?

"Do we have _any_ idea how _this,_ " I asked, gesturing carefully at Taylors faintly swollen stomach. "Actually happened? I mean, I know my biology grade is a little low compared to you guys, but I was under the impression that men didn't generally have the equipment for this sort of thing." I said, looking up at their faces curiously.

"I dunno what happened…" Jake sighed, shaking his head as he ran his hand through his hair. "One minute he seemed fine, next…"

"Okay, so… should we not look into it?" I asked, frowning at Mike uncertainly. "Would that help? If we understood how it happened…"

"I'd be better prepared for how to handle it, sure." Mike said quickly, nodding thoughtfully. "Anythin' we can learn'd be a big help in how best to help him _an'_ the fetus." He said.

I tried not to show how affected I was by his using such clinical words, clearing my throat and hoping I wasn't blushing.

"Then, where do we start?" I asked. "What did he eat? Drink? Touch?"

Jake and Mike exchanged a glance, seeming to have an entire conversation in a heartbeat. "I ain't leavin' him." Jake said flatly.

"Nobody is asking you to, Jake." I sighed, rolling my eyes. "But if you two are thinking someone should go check out the island," I assumed, smirking when they both looked away guiltily. " _I'll_ go. Tom and Miles will hold the line; you guys need to stay inside..." I said, frowning at the dark rings around everyone's eyes. "I'll have to make a stop at a pet store before I come home too." I added with a grimace.

Jake laughed briefly, before clearing his throat and turning away, hiding his lingering amusement.

Mike frowned, looking between us before shaking his head. "Ya ain't gonna make it there an' back inside of a week, doin' it all on ya own." He said.

"Better to have the information though… I can phase and check in with the others, or see if I'm still in range at least. I'll take my cell phone too… or, one of yours." I said, shrugging when he raised a brow at me. "Sean broke mine, when he…"

Mike's eyes turned darker, and I fell silent. He looked at Jake again, who seemed torn about something, before giving a single sharp, resolute nod. "I'll fly ya." Mike said, looking back at me. "I'll stay on speed dial; but 's better we do this now. Rest up tonight an' I'll run through everythin' with Snape an' Grandpa… then we'll head out tomorrow afternoon."


	12. United Front

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi  
> Sorry its late
> 
> Not doing well
> 
> x Our love to you all x

* * *

**United Front**

I was right on the edge of sleep.

The sun had risen behind the clouds an hour ago; the forest was gray now instead of black. I'd phased as promised, around midnight; allowing Tom and Miles to rest. They had curled up, swiftly passing out around one, and I had woken them at dawn to trade off. Even after running all night, I was having a hard time making my brain shut up long enough to fall asleep, but their rhythmic run was helping. One, two-three, four, one, two-three, four—dum dum-dum dum—dull paw thuds against the damp earth, over and over as they made the wide circuit surrounding the Darwins’ land. I had already worn a trail into the ground, but it was far more pronounced now with three wolves, instead of just me.

Miles’ thoughts were empty, just a blur of green and gray as the woods flew past him. It was restful. It helped to fill my head with what he saw rather than letting my own images take center stage. Like my nerves about being alone with Mike on a foreign island, where my best friend had got himself knocked up.

 _Heh, Diego's gonna get laid…_ Tom snickered. I ignored him. He was an idiot.

And then Miles’ piercing howl broke the early morning quiet.

I lurched up from the ground, my front legs pulling toward a sprint before my hind legs were off the ground. I raced toward the place where Miles had frozen, listening with him to the tread of paws running in our direction.

 _Morning, boys_.

A shocked whine broke through Miles’ teeth. And then we all growled as we read deeper into the new thoughts.

 _Oh, man! Go away, Michelle!_ Miles groaned.

I stopped when I got to Miles, head thrown back, ready to howl again; this time to complain.

 _Cut the noise, Miles_ . I sighed. _They're gonna have a panic attack in the house… god knows what Taylor will think._

 _Right_ . He whimpered apologetically and pawed at the ground, scratching deep furrows in the dirt. _Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!_

Michelle trotted into view, her lithe gray body weaving through the underbrush. _Stop whining, Miles. You’re such a baby_. She snorted.

I growled at her, my ears flattening against my skull. She skipped back a step automatically.

 _What do you think you’re doing, Michelle?_ Tom demanded, as he raced around the far side of the perimeter.

She huffed a heavy sigh. _It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? I’m joining your crappy little renegade pack. The vampires’ guard dogs._ She barked out a low, sarcastic laugh.

 _No, you’re not. Turn around before I rip out one of your hamstrings._ I growled.

 _Like you could catch me._ She grinned and coiled her body for launch. _Wanna race, O fearless leader?_

I took a deep breath, filling my lungs until my sides bulged. Then, when I was sure I wasn’t going to scream, I exhaled in a gust.

 _Miles, go let the Darwins know that it’s just your stupid sister_ . I thought the words as harshly as possible. _I’ll deal with this._

 _On it!_ Miles was only too happy to leave. He vanished toward the house.

Michelle whined, and she leaned after him, the fur on her shoulders rising. _You’re just going to let him run off to the vampires alone_?

_I’m pretty sure he’d rather they took him out than spend another minute with you._

_Shut up, Diego. Oops, I’m sorry; I meant, shut up, most high Alpha_. She scoffed.

 _Why the hell are you here?_ Tom demanded.

 _You think I’m just going to sit home while my little brother volunteers as a vampire chew toy_? She snarked back, raising a brow.

 _Miles doesn’t want or need your protection. In fact, no one wants you here_. Tom snarled quietly.

 _Oooh, ouch, that’s gonna leave a huge mark. Ha,_ she barked. _Tell me who does want me around, and I’m outta here._

 _So this isn’t about Miles at all, is it?_ I guessed.

 _Of course it is. I’m just pointing out that being unwanted is not a first for me._ She rolled her eyes. _Not really a motivating factor, if you know what I mean._

I gritted my teeth and tried to get my head straight. _Did Sean send you_?

 _If I was here on Sean’s errand, you wouldn’t be able to hear me. My allegiance is no longer with him_ . She said, pausing for a moment. _What he did to you was wrong._

I listened carefully to the thoughts mixed in with the words. If this was a diversion or a ploy, I had to be alert enough to see through it. But there was nothing. Her declaration was nothing but the truth. Unwilling, almost despairing truth.

 _Thanks, I guess.._. _You really expect me to believe you’re loyal to me now_? I asked with deep sarcasm.

 _My choices are limited. I’m working with the options I’ve got. Trust me, I’m not enjoying this any more than you are_. She huffed.

That wasn’t true. There was an edgy kind of excitement in her mind. She was unhappy about this, but she was also riding some weird high. I searched her mind, trying to understand.

She bristled, resenting the intrusion. I usually tried to tune Michelle out; I’d never tried to make sense of her before.

We were interrupted by Miles, thinking his explanation at Jake. Michelle whined anxiously. Jake’s face appeared, framed in the same window as last night, nodding with a small, tight lipped smile.

 _Wow, he looks bad,_ Miles muttered to himself. It was true, but still, he looked better than he had the night before. He showed no reaction to that thought, though. He disappeared into the house. Miles pivoted and headed back out to us. Michelle relaxed a little.

 _What’s going on?_ Michelle asked. _Catch me up to speed._

 _There’s no point. You’re not staying._ I barked quickly.

 _Actually, Mr. Alpha, I am. Because since apparently I have to belong to **someone** ; and don’t think I haven’t tried breaking off on my own, you know yourself how well that doesn’t work… I choose you. _She sniffed.

 _Michelle, you don’t like me._ I pointed out.

 _Thank you, Captain Obvious. That doesn’t matter to me. I’m staying with Miles_.

_You don’t like vampires. Don’t you think that’s a little conflict of interest right there?_

_I don't have to like them_. She lifted her shoulder lightly. _But I will be committed to this alliance._ She promised. _I’ll keep my distance from them. I can run patrols out here, just like Tom and Miles._

 _And I’m supposed to trust you with that_?

She stretched her neck, leaning up on her toes, trying to be as tall as me as she stared into my eyes. _I will not betray my pack._

I wanted to throw my head back and howl, like Miles had before. _This isn’t your pack! This isn’t even_ **_a_ ** _pack. This is just me, going off on my own! What is it with you three? Why can’t you leave me alone_?

 _Hey_ , Tom thought waspishly. _We're saving your butt; you wouldn't have lasted the night without us._

Miles, just coming up behind us now, whined; I’d offended him too. Great.

 _I’ve been helpful, haven’t I, Diego_?

 _You haven’t made too much a nuisance of yourself, kid_ , I sighed. _But if you and Michelle are a package deal; if the only way to get rid of her is for you to go home.… Well, can you blame me for wanting you gone_?

 _Ugh, Michelle, you ruin everything!_ Miles complained.

 _Yeah, I know,_ she told him, and the thought was loaded with the heaviness of her despair.

I felt the pain in the three little words, and it was more than I would’ve guessed. I didn’t want to feel that. I didn’t want to feel bad for her. Sure, the pack was rough on her, but she brought it all on herself with the bitterness that tainted her every thought and made being in her head a nightmare.

Miles was feeling guilty, too. _Diego… You’re not really gonna send me away, are you? Michelle’s not so bad. Really. I mean, with her here, we can push the perimeter out farther; and there's another wolf here to defend while you go to that island for answers…_ He pleaded. _And this puts Sean down another wolf. There’s no way he’s going to mount an attack that outnumbered. It’s probably a good thing…_

 _They got a point, Cap._ Tom thought smugly.

 _You guys know I don’t want to lead a pack._ I whined. How was it I had three other wolves following me now; and all picking on me? This wasn't fair.

 _So don’t lead us_ , Michelle offered.

I snorted. _Sounds perfect to me. Run along home now._

 _Diego_ , Miles thought _. I belong here. I do like vampires. The Darwins, anyway. They’re just people to me; good people... and I’m going to protect them, ’cause that’s what we’re supposed to do._

 _Same here, Kid._ Tom agreed, as I rolled my eyes.

_Maybe you guys belong, but your sister, Miles, doesn’t. And she’s going to go wherever you are—_

I stopped short, because I saw something when I said that. Something Michelle had been trying not to think.

Michelle wasn’t going anywhere.

 _Thought this was about Miles,_ I thought sourly.

She flinched. _Of course I’m here for Miles._

 _And to get away from Sean_.

Her jaw clenched. _I don’t have to explain myself to you. I just have to do what I’m told. I belong to your pack, Diego. The end._

I paced away from her, growling.

Crap. I was never going to get rid of her. As much as she loathed the Darwins, as happy as she’d be to go kill all the vampires right now, as much as it pissed her off to have to protect them instead; none of that was anything, compared to what she felt being free of Sean.

Michelle didn’t like me, so it wasn’t such a chore having me wish she would disappear.

She loved Sean. Still. And having him wish she would disappear was more pain than she was willing to live with, now that she had a choice. She would have taken any other option. Even if it meant moving in with the Darwins as their lapdog.

 _I don’t know if I’d go that far_ , she thought. She tried to make the words tough, aggressive, but there were big cracks in her show. _I think I'll leave that to you_.

_Look, Michelle…_

_No, you look, Diego_ . _Stop arguing with me, because it’s not going to do any good. I’ll stay out of your way, okay? I’ll do anything you want. Except go back to Sean’s pack and be the pathetic ex-girlfriend he can’t get away from. If you want me to leave_ , she sat back on her haunches and stared straight into my eyes. _You’re going to have to make me_.

I snarled for a long, angry minute. I was beginning to feel some sympathy for Sean, despite what he had done to me, to everyone. No wonder he was always ordering the pack around. How else would you ever get anything done?

 _Miles, are you gonna get mad at me if I kill your sister_?

He pretended to think about it for a minute. _Well… yeah, probably._

I sighed.

Tom laughed. _Hell yeah, packs-a-growin'!_ He thought smugly.

 _Okay, then, Ms. Do-Anything-I-Want. Why don’t you make yourself useful by telling us what you know? What happened after we left last night?_ I demanded, not caring in the least that I was sulky or petulant about it.

 _Lots of howling. But you probably heard that part._ She said, stretching her long body out. _It was so loud that it took us a while to figure out that we couldn’t hear either of you guys as well as Diego, anymore. Sean was…_

Words failed her, but we could see it in our head. Both Miles and I cringed. _After that, it was clear pretty quick that we were going to have to rethink things. Sean was planning to talk to the other Elders first thing this morning… but I’m expecting he’ll have edited a whole lot._ She added quietly. 

_Like that he wasn’t intending on all out_ **_murdering_ ** _one of their sons?_ Tom snorted darkly.

 _Can it, wolf breath._ I barked. _Carry on, Michelle._

 _We were supposed to meet up and figure out a game plan. I could tell he wasn’t going to mount another attack right away, though. Suicide at this point, with Tom and Miles AWOL and the bloodsuckers forewarned._ She scoffed. _I’m not sure what they’ll do now... but I wouldn’t be wandering the forest alone if I was a leech. It’s open season on vamps now._

 _You decided to skip the meeting this morning?_ I asked, flicking my tail in frustration.

Michelle paused. _When we split up for patrols last night, I asked permission to go home, to tell my mother what had happened_ —

 _Crap! You told Mom?_ Miles growled.

 _Miles, hold off on the sibling stuff for a sec._ I sighed. Having a pack was bloody exhausting. _Go on, Michelle._

 _So once I was human, I took a minute to think things through. Well, actually, I took all night. I bet the others think I fell asleep. But the whole two-separate-packs, two-separate-pack-minds thing gave me a lot to sift through. In the end, I weighed Miles’ safety and the, er, other benefits against the idea of turning traitor and sniffing vampire stink for who knows how long. You know what I decided. I left a note for my mom… and then I made a brief stop to see an old friend._ She said with a deep breath. _I expect we’ll hear it when Sean finds out…_

Michelle cocked an ear to the west.

 _Yeah, I expect we will,_ I agreed. _What friend?_ I asked suspiciously. 

_Um, well… I couldn’t tell them everything, but they’ll be coming up the driveway in about, oh… five minutes?_ She said evasively. _So; what do we do now?_

She and Miles both looked at me expectantly.

 _Michelle, who is coming here?_ I demanded, ignoring her question.

 _Is that an order for me to tell you?_ She asked. _Because otherwise, you should probably just go and greet them… they’re turning in now._ She said.

 _I guess we just keep an eye out for now._ I sighed, turning away. _That’s all we can do. You should probably take a nap, Michelle._

_You’ve had as much sleep as I have._

_Thought you were going to do what you were told?_

_Right. That’s not going to get old,_ she grumbled, and then she yawned. _Well, whatever. I don’t care._

 _I’ll run the border with Tom, Diego. I’m not tired at all_. Miles was so glad I hadn’t forced them home, he was all but prancing with excitement.

 _Sure, sure. I’m going to go see who Michelle invited to the party, then I’m going to go check in with the Darwins._ I grumbled.

Miles took off along the new path worn into the damp earth. Michelle looked after him thoughtfully.

_Maybe a round or two before I crash… Hey boys, wanna see how many times I can lap you both?_

**_No_ ** _!_ They both growled in reply.

Barking out a low chuckle, Michelle lunged into the woods after her brother.

I growled uselessly. So much for peace and quiet.

Michelle was trying though; for Michelle… and she brought added help, apparently. I took off for the house, listening to the sound of a car turning onto the drive, as she’d predicted. She kept her jibes to a minimum as she raced around the circuit, but it was impossible not to be aware of her smug mood. 

She laughed to herself, too jittery and hyper to get offended. I wondered how long the buzz from dodging Sean’s pity would last.

I changed into my human form when I was a few yards from the lawn and pulled on a pair of ragged shorts, before I started across the lawn.

I stood out the front of the house, watching the car approach slowly. It parked just outside of the garage. After a tense second of waiting, the engine cut off, and the door swung open; and I exhaled a deep rush of air in surprise.

“Yeah… I wasn’t expecting to ever come here either, believe me.” They said, closing the door with a bang behind me. “But, Michelle said I should come talk to you. I get the feeling, I’m not going to like what I hear… but that I need to hear it, all the same.”

I watched them approach warily, glancing uncertainly at the house, before taking a deep breath and looking firmly at me. “And you’re _sure_ you want to hear it?” I asked, raising a brow as they nodded. “Estela… you being here is like an open invitation to Sean.” I said, shaking my head. "I mean, I appreciate that you even came, but-"

"Diego, shut up." Estela said tightly. "I don't know what's happened… but I need to. Sean is, he's closed off to everyone, including me it seems.” She said, exhaling a deep breath as she looked up at the house behind me. “I don’t know what’s going on with him. But, Michelle said you’d left the pack and that she was following you; and there were things I should hear from you.”

I sighed, running my hands through my hair slowly. “Alright,” I said, clucking my tongue before dropping my arms and half turning towards the house. “There’s something you need to see… and if you can keep your head after that, I’ll explain anything you wanna know.” I said, gesturing for her to follow me.

I walked up the porch steps and opened the door, leading Estela inside and glancing around the assembled vampires waiting in a crowd before Taylor. “Guys,” I sighed, gesturing for them to part. “She won’t hurt him… worst case scenario, she can’t handle it and she leaves. We don’t lose anything in trying. But, if she _can_ stomach this, who knows; maybe she can even help.” I said.

Jake didn’t like it, I could tell; and Zahra even less. But slowly they parted to reveal Taylor sat on the couch, worrying his lip as he rest his hand over his small bulge. “Hey, Momma,” I snorted, sidling over and ignoring his scowl and his pitiful swat to my arm, as I sat down carefully beside him. “How’re you doing?” I asked more gently.

“Um,” he huffed, leaning on my shoulder tiredly. “Let me get back to you on that.” He grumbled, glancing back at Estela, almost shy as he tried to hide against me.

Estela was frowning as she approached slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements. If she was uncomfortable in the midst of a bunch of vampires, she didn’t show it. She knelt before Taylor, raising her hand and hesitating as she met his eyes for permission. At his small nod, she tentatively laid her hand over his swollen belly, her good eye slowly widening in obvious wonder. “Well,” she said thickly a moment later, looking back up at him. “Aren’t you the ugliest, expectant mother I’ve ever seen?”

Taylor laughed at her light joke, his eyes watering stupidly as he buried his face in my shoulder. I laughed along quietly, chaffing his arm gently, before nudging him to sit upright. “Alright, Estela.” I chuckled quietly, rising to my feet with her quickly following me. “I promised to tell you anything you wanted to know, but it might take a while. So come sit with me, and let this lot take care of this idiot.” I snorted, squeezing Taylor’s shoulder gently, before leading Estela into the living room. I sat in the first chair I came across, burying my head in my hands for a moment, before drawing in a deep breath and turning to look beside me.

Estela sat down, looking around curiously. “So light…” she murmured, a small smile flitting across her lips briefly, before she turned to face me. “You won’t hold back?” She asked firmly, all business again.

I shook my head. “No, I promised. Anything you want to know… just bare in mind, some answers you might not like.” I said.

Estela nodded, taking a deep breath as she seemed to debate where she wanted to start. “Why did you leave the pack?” She asked.

“The first time?” I snorted, raising a brow. Estela frowned, but nodded. “The first time… Sean gave me an order to kiss Taylor.” I said quietly, lowering my eyes to the table in shame as Estela sucked in a sharp breath. “I tried to fight it… and I did, though it hurt like a bitch.” I admitted. “But then he slapped me with another, stronger order… and I couldn’t fight anymore.”

“And… then?” She pressed. 

I sighed. “Then… I came here. Stayed here, with the _enemy."_ I snorted, shaking my head as I felt a fond smile curve my lips. “And they never batted an eyelid. Welcomed me with open arms. They let me stay, they fed me… cared for me and let me just, figure out who _I_ really was.” I sighed.

“But, something changed?” Estela said. I glanced over to see she was glaring at the table, her hand balled into a fist.

“Yeah, you could say that.” I muttered. “You knew about my disappearance?” I asked, watching from the corner of my eye as she nodded sharply. “Right after Sean gave an order to the pack, that they stay in human form, coincidentally.” I said lightly, as her eyes narrowed at the table. “He was in the middle of the road, when I was leaving my dads… I’d just been to give him the invites for Taylor’s wedding. His, Toms, Miles’... and yours.”

“Mine?” Estela demanded, looking up at me abruptly.

“Heh, yeah… I had a feeling you never got yours.” I snorted softly, shaking my head. “He tried to get me to follow him, but we’ve all seen that film… so I was just going to hot-tail it out of there.” I felt my throat tighten. I hadn’t actually spoken to anyone about any of this, and Jake had been considerate enough to either not look specifically for it, or not speak about it. “Sean’s head colliding with my car, kind of prevented that plan.” I whispered, my eyes unfocused as I remembered the scene all too vividly.

“The Impala?” Estela asked, her brows rising in surprise.

“Mmm.” I hummed noncommittally.

“He said he found it…” she murmured, shaking her head in disbelief as I snorted and scowled at the table. “That he was going to show Scott, because he thought you’d been in a wreck and someone had just… taken you.”

“Estela,” I said flatly, rolling my eyes towards her. “Did you _really_ believe that?” I asked knowingly, as she flushed and lowered her eyes to the table. “That’s what I thought… but I don’t blame you for _wanting_ to believe him.” I sighed. “It was all downhill from there. He was going to kill me, and I had only one way to defend myself… I phased, and I threw him off me. I was almost to the border when he ordered me to stop.” I was whispering again by the time I trailed off, swallowing thickly against the shame which suffused me. “I never should have left here.” I murmured under my breath, sucking in a deep breath and exhaling it shakily, as I gripped the edge of the table.

“Because… of your lover?” Estela asked uncertainly. I looked over at her in surprise, to find her watching me closely. “Tom told me, after the wedding… it’s, one of them?” She pressed.

A range of emotions flitted through me, before I felt a warmth burn softly in my heart. “Mike.” I admitted quietly, as I felt a crooked smile tug at my lips.

Estela watched me a moment longer, raising a brow curiously. “You love him.” She was stating the fact, I noticed; not asking a question.

“I do.” I said, smiling over at her openly. “He’s the kindest, most gentlest man I’ve ever met. I’ll never love anyone else.” I said confidently.

Estela nodded, exhaling a deep breath slowly, before tipping her chin at me. “Keep going.”

“Are you sure you want to hear-?”

“No.” She said, closing her eyes. “But I need to.” She sighed, opening her eyes and fixing me with a firm, beseeching gaze.

“Alright…” I sighed. “Well, he saw _that_ in my head, and he ordered me to kill Mike, if I ever saw him again... then he sent me away from Cedar Cove. I think I was wandering around Canada at one point… every so often, he’d show up in my head. I wasn’t able to phase, wasn’t able to do anything; I depended on his updates, even though I knew they’d be bullshit.” I scoffed, shaking my head. “Then the subtle stuff came, the hints, the orders that would overlap… by the time he told me to come back, I’d figured out what he wanted me to do. I wasn’t sure if I could fight it, but I was gonna be damned if I didn’t try.” I said, running a hand through my hair. “In Sean’s mind… without Taylor, choosing to become a vampire; there would be no breach of the treaty.” I said bitterly, as Estela sucked in a sudden breath.

“He wouldn’t-”

“He did.” I said quietly. “He sent me to the wedding, fully intending that I kill Taylor before he turned.” I explained. “But as he always does, Taylor pulled me back again.” I said, my voice softening as I half turned towards the other room. “Him and Mike…” I huffed fondly. “Sean often underestimates Taylor, you know. But he has this way about him, he just; inspires. He gave me the means, and when Mike showed up; he gave me the reason to fight. I accepted my birthright as an Alpha, and I stopped Sean from killing my mate.” I said, turning to Estela with a blank expression, as she swallowed heavily and nodded slowly.

“And since then?” She asked, unable to meet my gaze as she gripped the edge of the table.

“I hadn’t actually seen him… until today.” I said quietly. “I was about to run my perimeter… and I heard his thoughts. He’d seen Taylor, and he was going to go get the pack. He wants to kill them all, Taylor especially; or more, his baby.” I said, as Estela sucked in a deep breath and looked out the far window. The pain in her good eye was undeniable. “I told the pack as much of the truth I was able to, before I declared myself the Darwin’s protector. I left; and those two idiots out there followed me… Michelle just turned up about five minutes before you.” I spread my palms, before dropping them to the table top. There was nothing else to say, so I just waited for Estela to voice her own thoughts.

She took her time, staring out the window as she processed everything. “He wants to kill Taylor… and his baby.” She said quietly, exhaling a deep breath as she considered a moment longer. Finally she turned towards me. “Does anyone know just how he got himself… in that state?”

“All I know is he and Jake had a typical honeymoon, lots of sex, lots of love and all that crap.” I snorted. “Nobody knows any more than that… if he were female, this might at least make more sense, but hey; it’s Taylor. You kind of come to just expect the impossible with him.” I laughed quietly. “Mike’s going to fly me over to the island later today so we can try and find some answers.”

“Is that wise?” She asked, raising a brow. “How far along is he, exactly?” 

“Best we can work out, he’s about three weeks by actual time…” I admitted quietly. “But he’s about three months along, development wise. Whatever his little miracle is? It’s growing fast.” I sighed. “We figured it made sense to go now, before he’s too far along and needs Mike to be here more permanently.”

“It will leave you down two guards… even with your pack still running patrols.” Estela murmured, frowning thoughtfully as she nodded slowly. “Alright… I helped my brother’s wife when she was pregnant. I’ll help him out as much as I can while you’re gone.” She said, already rising and heading back through the door.

“Whoa, wait-” I scrambled after her, jogging to catch up as she walked fearlessly back to Taylor, ignoring Zahra’s hissing as she examined him briefly, before grabbing a cushion and carefully easing it behind his back.

“Oh!” He sighed, looking at her warmly. “Thanks, that’s way better…” he said, smiling tiredly as Estela looked back at me.

“Don’t take too long. He needs his doctor.” She warned. “Anyone would, in this condition, but him especially…” she paused, lowering her eyes. “I can’t do much more… but Sean’s pack won’t attack while I’m here, at least.”

“What, we’re supposed to believe that?” Zahra scoffed. “He’ll just say we took your stiff ass hostage.” 

“Let him.” Estela said, looking up at Zahra coolly. “Hell, tell them it’s true if you need to. But I won’t let Taylor; or that baby, be harmed.” 

Zahra blinked, straightening in surprise. “Why?” She demanded.

“All life is innocent, when it’s first made.” Estela said quietly. “Nobody has the right to decide that babies fate; except Taylor.”

“Hey, I helped him makin’ it ya know.” Jake grumbled.

“And if you were the one carrying it, you’d be the one to decide its fate.” Estela said evenly. “Now, help me move him… this isn’t helping him at all.” She said, as I drifted away. It was clear Estela wouldn’t have any problems with the vampires; they were already falling into line for her.

I trotted out the front door, closing it behind me as I debated briefly whether to shift and thank Michelle for having thought to bring Estela here after all. But then I hoped she had gone to sleep by now.

The door opened behind me before I even got to the steps, and I was surprised to see Mike stepping out after me, his face looked exhausted and defeated. For a second, my heart froze. I faltered to a stop, unable to speak.

“Ya alright?” Mike asked tiredly.

“Is Taylor?” I choked out. I’d only just left, how the hell could he look so weary already?

“Naw, he’s just the same. Did I startle ya? Sorry.” He chuckled. “I was just comin’ to see if ya ‘bout ready to head out.”

It had been a while since I’d slept; since before my last patrol. I could really feel that now. I took a step forward, sat down on the porch steps, and slumped against the railing.

Moving whisper-quiet as only a vampire could, Mike took a seat on the same step, against the other railing.

“I didn’t get a chance to thank ya last night.” He said after a moment. “Ya shouldn’t have put yaself in harms way for me.” He said. “I owe ya the safety of the rest of ‘em an’ all. Jake told me what ya did, facin’ ‘em all...”

“Don’t be stupid,” I muttered. “I’d do it again, if I had to. You know that.”

We sat in silence then. A vivid ocean of awkwardness between us. We hadn't been alone since that day in his office, and somehow this didn't feel the appropriate setting for a heartfelt apology. 

So instead I listened to the house behind us. I could hear the others in the house. Craig, Quinn, Jesse and Kele, speaking in low, serious voices upstairs. Grace humming tunelessly in another room while Aleister played a quiet and calming tune on a piano. Zahra and Jake breathing close by; I couldn’t tell which was which. I could hear the tired enthusiasm in Taylor’s voice as he talked to Estela about his baby.

“Do you really think he's going to die.” It wasn't a question really. I knew the answer, I just wanted to hear him talk.

He was quiet long enough that I looked up. His face was very, very tired. I knew how he felt.

“I dunno,” he finally said. “But I can’t ignore his will… more'n anythin', he wants it to live. Wouldn’t be right to make such a choice for him, to force him.”

He was blaming himself. Even though he was the most amazing doctor in the world; repressing his nature for centuries just to master the sheer willpower needed to help make human lives better… he was blaming himself; because Taylor was an idiot, and loved things he shouldn’t. I felt hot and flustered, awkward as I wanted to comfort him; but I had no idea how… so I asked another question.

“Do you think there’s any chance he’ll make it? I mean, as a vampire and all that. He told me about… about Grace.”

“’S a even chance at this point,” he answered quietly. “I seen vampire venom work miracles, but there're conditions even venom can't overcome. His heart ain't workin' too hard right now; but 's gonna later." He warned. "If it fail's… ain’t gonna be anythin' for me to do.”

I frowned, worrying my lip as Tom came trotting over in human form, having traded off with Michelle. "Yo," he said, smirking at me but thankfully not saying anything further as he sat down on the ground before us. I could tell from his grin he was thinking it though.

I ignored him. “What's it doing to him?” I whispered, worried about Taylor overhearing.

“The fetus ain’t compatible with his body." Mike said evenly, scrubbing his hands over his face. It was such a human gesture, I longed to offer him some form of comfort. "'S too strong, for one thing, but he'd probably endure that. The real problem is it ain’t allowin' him to get the sustenance he needs. His body's rejectin' any'n all forms of nutrition. I’m gonna end up havin' to try to feedin' him intravenously, but I don't think it'll help… he just ain't absorbin' it. Everythin' 'bout his condition is accelerated. I’m watchin' him; an' not just him, but the fetus an' all, slowly starvin' to death. I can’t stop it an' I can’t slow it down. I can’t figure out what the hell I'm doin' wrong… what the hell it wants.” He was ranting in his agitation in the end, until I couldn't take it anymore. I reached over and squeezed his hand gently.

"You're doing everything you can." I said quietly. "If anyone can work this out… it's you."

Mike sighed and shook his head ruefully. “I jus' wish I could get a better idea o' what the hell it is,” Mike murmured. “The fetus is well protected. I ain’t been able to produce an ultrasonic image. I doubt there's anyway to get a needle through the amniotic sac, but Zahra won’t never agree to let me try, in any case.”

“A needle?” I mumbled. “What good would that do?”

“The more I know 'bout the fetus, the better I can estimate what it'll be capable of. What I wouldn’t give for even a little amniotic fluid. If I knew even the chromosomal count...”

“You’re losing me, Mike." I laughed at his eagerness, my hand burning where it still held his cool skin within my comforting grip. "Can you dumb it down?”

He chuckled once, even his laugh sounded exhausted. “Alright. How much biology've ya taken?"

"Enough to know boys don't generally have the babies." I snorted.

Mike's lips twitched with amusement. "Did ya study chromosomal pairs?”

“Think so. We have twenty-three, right?”

“Humans do.”

I blinked. “How many do _you_ have?”

“Twenty-five.”

I frowned at Tom for a second, he looked as confused as I did. “What does that mean?”

“I thought it meant our species were almost completely different. Less related'n a lion an' a house cat. But this new life; well, it suggests we’re more genetically compatible'n I’d thought.” He sighed sadly. “I didn’t know to warn 'em.”

"Mike, I don't think anyone did." Tom scoffed. "Don't think many gay guys have to worry about this sort of thing…"

"This is a Taylor-centric cock up." I agreed. The three of us exchanged a look, before we all started laughing quietly.

"Nice phrasing there, boss." Tom sniggered, wiping the grin from my face.

“Might help to know what the count were; whether the fetus' closer to us or to him." Mike continued before I could start arguing with Tom. "To know what to expect.” Then he shrugged. “An' maybe it wouldn’t help anythin'. I guess I just wish I had somethin' to study, anythin' to do.”

“Wonder what our chromosomes are like,” I muttered randomly, glancing at Tom. I thought of those Olympic steroids tests again. Did they run DNA scans?

Mike coughed self-consciously. “Ya got twenty-four pairs.”

I turned slowly to stare at him, raising my eyebrows.

He looked embarrassed. “I was… curious. I took the liberty, when I was treatin' ya last June.” He said to Tom, who merely laughed in response.

I thought about it for a second. “Huh… well, whaddaya know.”

“I’m sorry. I should've asked.” Mike said to Tom.

“S’okay, Doc. You didn’t mean any harm.” Tom said back cheerfully.

“Naw, I promise ya I didn't mean ya any harm." Mike said seriously. "'S just that… I find ya species fascinatin'-"

"I wonder why." Tom snorted flatly, waving his eyebrows at me and laughing as I kicked him. 

"I s'pose that the elements of vampiric nature've come to seem commonplace to me over the centuries." Mike continued as if Tom hadn't interrupted. "Ya family’s divergence from humanity is much more interestin'. Magical, almost.”

“Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” Tom laughed.

Mike laughed another weary laugh.

Then we heard Jake’s voice inside the house, and we both paused to listen.

“I’ll be right back, Taylor. I wanna speak with Mike a second. Actually, Skrillex will ya come an' all?” Jake sounded different. There was a spark of something. Not hope exactly, but maybe the desire to hope.

“What is it, Jake?” Taylor asked curiously.

“Nothin' ya need to worry 'bout, Boy Scout. It'll just take a second… Estela'll stay with ya." He said gently. "Please, Zahra?”

“Grace?” Zahra called. “Can you keep an eye on Taylor with Estela?” Zahra wasn't about to trust Estela alone with Taylor it seemed, but it was still progress from when they first got back.

I heard the whisper of wind as Grace flitted down the stairs.

“Of course,” she said.

Mike shifted, twisting to look expectantly at the door. Jake was through the door first, with Zahra right on his heels. He seemed intensely focused. Zahra looked suspicious.

Jake shut the door behind her.

“Mike,” he murmured.

“What is it, Grandpa?”

“Per'aps we’ve been goin' 'bout this the wrong way. I 's listenin' to ya'll just now, an' when ya were speakin' of what the… _fetus_ wants, Tom had an interestin' thought.”

"Tom?" I repeated, frowning as I turned to look at him. He looked as surprised by this development as I did. "Tom never has interesting thoughts… trust me, I know."

“We ain’t actually addressed that angle,” Jake went on, ignoring my interruption. “We’ve been tryin' to get Taylor what he needs. An' his body's acceptin' it 'bout as well as one of ours would. Perhaps we oughta address the needs of the… fetus first. If we can satisfy _it_ , we’ll be able to help him better."

“I ain't followin' ya, Grandpa,” Mike said.

“Think 'bout it, Mike. If that creature is more vampire'n human, can’t ya guess what it craves; what it ain't gettin'? Tom did.”

Tom snorted in sudden understanding. "That wasn't a thought." He said, flushing with mild embarrassment. "That was a snide comment."

Mike frowned, and then he blinked, looking back at Jake in surprise. “Oh,” he said in a surprised tone. “Ya think it's… _thirsty_?”

Zahra hissed under her breath. She wasn’t suspicious anymore. Her perfect face was all lit up, her eyes wide with excitement. “Of course,” she muttered. “Mike, we got all that type O negative laid aside for Taylor. It’s a good idea,” she added.

“Hmm.” Mike put his hand to his chin, lost in thought. “I wonder… An' then, what'd be the best way to administer...”

Zahra shook her head. “We don’t got time to be creative. I’d say we should start with the traditional way.”

“Wait a minute,” I whispered. “Just hold on. Are you… are you talking about making Taylor drink blood?” I asked, frowning between them all.

“It was your dogs idea,” Zahra said, scowling at me without ever quite looking at me.

I ignored her and watched Mike. "Taylor gags at the _smell_ of blood…" I warned, but I could see that same ghost of hope that had been in Jake’s face was now in the doctor’s eyes. 

He pursed his lips, speculating. "We'd have to find a way to keep him from seein' what he's drinkin'."

“That’s just...” Tom couldn’t seem to find the right word, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

“Monstrous?” Jake suggested. “Repulsive?”

“Pretty much.”

“But what if it helps him?” he whispered.

“Okay, so what are we gonna do?” I asked, wondering if this was more of that bizarre fate, signalling once again that Taylor was born for this life.

“I think we oughta start by askin' him what he thinks. I just wanted to run it past Mike first.”

Zahra nodded. “If you tell him it might help the baby, he’ll be willing to do anything. Even if we do have to feed them through a tube.”

I frowned, worried momentarily as a stray thought passed through my mind. Did Zahra care for Taylor at all? Or was she just after his baby?

From the corner of my eye, I saw Jake nod once, absently, not looking in my direction. But I knew he was answering my questions.

My frown deepened, my hands balling at my sides. I refused to let that happen; if I had to walk to that stupid island, I was going to find out what happened and find a way to save my beat friend.

Jake’s mouth mashed into a hard line, and I saw him swallow thickly, his eyes the only thing which betrayed his thick emotions.

“Well, we don’t have time to sit around discussing this,” Zahra said impatiently.

“What d'ya think, Mike? Can we try?”

Mike took a deep breath, and then he was on his feet. “We’ll ask Taylor.”

Zahra smiled smugly; sure that, if it was up to Taylor, she would get her way.

I dragged myself up from the stairs and trotted after them as they disappeared into the house. Tom stayed outside, flopping down in the dirt to sleep.

Taylor lay flat on the couch now, his belly a small bulge that he smiled at adoringly while Estela massaged his feet. He looked tired and sort of see-through. I guess his baby had been desperate for blood, and slowly draining the reserves. His eyes followed the four of us with exhausted suspicion.

The others were at his side already, flitting across the room with sudden darting motions. I hurried after them and leaned over the back of the couch.

“What’s going on?” Taylor demanded in a scratchy whisper. His waxy hand twitched up; like she was trying to protect his stomach.

“Tom had an idea that might help ya,” Mike said. “It probably ain’t gonna be all too … pleasant for ya, but—”

“But it will help the baby,” Zahra interrupted eagerly. “We’ve thought of a better way to feed him. Maybe.”

Taylor’s eyelids fluttered. Then he coughed out a tired chuckle. “Not pleasant?” he huffed. “Gosh, that’ll be such a change.” He rolled his eyes and coughed again.

Zahra laughed with him.

Typical Taylor; trying to ease the tension for everyone else, by masking his fear and pain.

Jake stepped around Zahra, no humor touching his intense expression. He took Taylor's hand, not the one that was still protecting his swollen belly.

“Taylor, babe, we’re gonna ask ya to do somethin'... monstrous,” he said, using the same adjectives he’d offered Tom. “Repulsive.”

He took a shallow, fluttery breath. “How bad?”

Mike answered. “We think the fetus might've got an appetite closer to _ours_ 'n _yours_. We think it’s thirsty.”

He blinked. “Oh. _Oh_.”

Estela wrinkled her nose, but chose not to comment, ignoring the conversation as she continued massaging his feet.

“Ya condition; both of ya conditions're deterioratin' real quick. We don’t got time to waste, an' come up with more palatable ways to do this. The fastest way to test the theory—”

“I’ve got to drink it,” he said knowingly. He nodded with determination. “I can do that. Practice for the future, right?” His lips stretched into a faint grin as he looked at Jake. He didn’t smile back.

Zahra started tapping her toe impatiently. I was frustrated that she was being so pushy. Taylor was going to survive, in the immortal sense; she really needed to realise she wasn't getting her hands on his goddamn baby.

“So, who’s going to catch me a grizzly bear?” Taylor asked.

Mike and Jake exchanged a quick glance. Zahra stopped tapping.

“What?” Taylor asked.

“It'll be a more effective test if we ain’t cuttin' corners, Taylor,” Mike said.

“If the fetus _is_ cravin' blood,” Jake explained, “it ain't cravin' animal blood.”

“It won’t make a difference to you, Taylor. Don’t think about it,” Zahra encouraged.

Taylor’s eyes widened. “Who?” he breathed, and his gaze flickered to me.

“I’m not here as a donor, assbutt,” I laughed, flicking him on the nose. “’Sides, it’s human blood that he's after, and I don’t think mine applies—”

“We have blood on hand,” Zahra told him, talking over me before I’d finished, like I wasn’t there. “For you; just in case. Don’t worry about anything at all. It’s going to be fine. I have a good feeling about this, Taylor. I think the baby will be so much better.”

Taylor’s hand ran across his stomach.

“Well,” he rasped nervously. “I’m starving, so I’ll bet he is, too.” Trying to make another joke. “Let’s go for it. My first vampire act.”


	13. Pack Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sorry this still isnt finished
> 
> Honestly; its a struggle to write anything ES rn and i am peetty sure i know why - i swear i am trying to fight it
> 
> Please bear with me a little longer ❤  
> You're all amazing and i love you so much
> 
> Lemme know you're still here? And if you like..?
> 
> x Our love to you all x

**Pack Life**

Jake stayed, holding Taylor’s hand. His face was dead again. He didn’t seem to have the energy to keep up even that little hint of hope he’d had before. They stared into each other’s eyes, but not in a gooey way. It was like they were having a conversation. Kind of reminded me of Sean and Estela… before everything went crazy and Sean turned into the Alpha Asshole.

No, it wasn’t gooey, and that only made it harder to watch.

We waited. Taylor and Jake silently communicating, Estela rubbing Taylor's feet. Grace and Aleister had taken Jesse outside, down to the river on the inside of the perimeter; he didn't want to smell the blood and ruin the experiment by slipping into a frenzy.

Zahra darted downstairs after a second, flying through the room like a sharp breeze, as I watched from the doorway. She stopped inside the kitchen, and I heard the creak of a cupboard door.

“Not clear, Zahra,” Jake murmured. He rolled his eyes.

Taylor looked curious, but Jake just shook his head at him.

Zahra blew back through the room and disappeared again.

“This was Tom's idea?” Taylor whispered, his voice rough with nerves that he couldn't hide.

“Apparently your husband here," I laughed, moving closer and clapping Jake on the shoulder. "Was just picking snide comments out of his head.”

He smiled a little. “I didn’t expect to see him again.”

“Yeah, me, neither,” I said. "Now if only I could get rid of him." I huffed. Jake's lips twitched with amusement, no doubt having heard the endless teasing I'd been forced to suffer.

It felt weird just standing here, waiting hopefully to find out if this was going to work or not. If this could ultimately save Taylor's life. I flopped onto the couch beside Taylor with a sigh. I wouldn’t have minded standing much, except that I had come to realise that I was exhausted.

“Jake told me what the others did." Taylor said, taking my hand. "I’m sorry.”

“S’okay. I think I'm the one getting the raw deal, to be honest." I snorted. "The others are all chuffed.

“Poor Tom and Miles,” he said.

“They're actually happy to help.”

“I hate causing you all trouble.”

I laughed once; more a bark than a laugh.

He grinned and breathed a faint sigh. “I guess that’s nothing new, is it?”

“No, not really, dude.” I snickered.

“You don’t have to stay and watch this,” he said.

"What, you think I'm suddenly gonna change my mind and this is gonna seem weird, all of a sudden?” I rolled my eyes. "Or are you offended by my presence?"

"You know that isn't the case." He grumbled, pouting at me. "I just didn't know if being a wolf again meant you were… put off by-"

"Taylor, shut up." I sighed. Idiot was going to worry himself so much this whole experiment would be proven useless. "If it were Michelle in here, I could understand you being a dumbass, but I'm just plain insulted, dude."

“Michelle?” he gasped, his eyes widening in surprise.

I frowned. “You didn’t tell him?” I asked Jake.

He just shrugged without moving his eyes from Taylor's face. I could see it wasn’t very exciting news to him, not something worth sharing with the more important events that were going down.

Taylor didn’t take it so lightly. It looked like it was bad news to him.

“Why?” he worried.

I didn’t want to get into the whole novel-length version. “To keep an eye on Miles.”

“But Michelle hates us,” he whispered, his hand resting on his stomach protectively.

 _Us_. I probably shouldn't have felt so warm and smug at that, that I could so easily see myself as a part of this weird jumble of a family.

“Michelle’s not going to bug anyone. She’s in my pack...” I grimaced at the words, “so she follows my lead. She actually brought Estela."

Taylor didn’t look convinced, worrying his lip.

“You’re scared of Michelle, but you’re best buds with the psychopath vampire?” I snorted, gesturing after Zahra.

There was a low hiss from the second floor. Cool, she’d heard me.

Taylor frowned at me. “Don’t. Zahra… understands.”

"Don't give me that, Taylor, I've more than shown that _I_ understand and I've still managed to put your needs up on the list of priorities too.” I scolded, as he looked down at his lap guiltily. “She understands that you’re gonna die and she doesn’t care, so long as she gets _your_ baby out of the deal.”

“Stop being a jerk, Diego,” he muttered.

I threw him a lopsided grin. “You really think I'm being a jerk? Or that maybe you could cut everyone some slack by not letting them think you're okay with dying?”

Taylor tried to avoid my eyes for a second, but he couldn’t help it in the end; he peeked at me guiltily as his lips pulled up at the corners. "You're such an, assbutt." He complained.

And then Mike and the psycho in question were there. Mike had a white plastic cup in his hand; the kind with a lid and a bendy straw. I got why Jake had said not clear, suddenly. He didn’t want Taylor to have to think about what he was doing any more than necessary. You couldn’t see what was in the cup at all. But I knew everyone in the house could smell it. Jesse was right to have left, he wasn't ready for _this_ kind of challenge yet.

Mike hesitated, the hand with the cup half-extended. Taylor eyed it, looking uncertain again.

“We can try 'nother way,” Mike offered quietly.

“No,” Taylor said, shaking his head quickly. “No, I’ll try this first. We don’t have time...” he insisted, as his hand fluttered feebly against his stomach.

Taylor reached out and took the cup from him. His hand shook a little, and I could hear the sloshing from inside. He bit his lip nervously, his eyes flickering around us all. Still aware enough to feel self-conscious. If he wasn’t so tired, I’d bet he would have blushed.

“Don’t mind them,” Zahra murmured, as if we were all distracting him.

It irritated me. Nobody here was judging Taylor, the idiot knew that as well as anybody; why give him a damn complex about it in the first place? If I really thought it would be easier for him, I would have sat this out, but I knew a move like that would only make this worse for Taylor; make it harder for him to go through with it. He’d figure I was too disgusted to stay. Which was beyond untrue. Blood was a part of his future, I wasn't about to change my mind and start throwing a fit about it, just because he wasn't fully _there_ yet.

Still, I wasn't about to jinx Tom's snide comment of an idea. I glanced at Estela, who was watching Taylor again; and I felt a rush of relief when there was no disgust on her face. I knew then, we were all hoping it would work.

Taylor lifted the cup to his face and sniffed at the end of the straw. He flinched, and then made a face.

“Taylor, babe, we can find an easier way,” Jake said, holding his hand out for the cup.

“Plug your nose,” Zahra suggested. She glared at Jake’s hand like she might take a snap at it. I half wished she would. I was losing patience with her fast, and I bet Jake wasn't about to take it sitting down.

“No, that’s not it. It’s just that it—” Taylor sucked in a deep breath. “It smells good,” he admitted in a tiny voice.

“That’s a good thing, dude.” I said as Zahra nodded eagerly. “That means we’re on the right track. Give it a try.”

"I was always so sick… at even the smell before." He murmured, looking over at me uncertainly as I reached for his hand and squeezed gently.

"Stop worrying." I said, tipping my chin to his cup. "C'mon, mister vampire in training. Get to it." I snickered, as Taylor's lips twitched with gratitude and amusement.

Taylor shoved the straw between his lips, squeezed his eyes shut, and wrinkled his nose. I could hear the blood slopping around in the cup again as his hand shook with nerves.

He sipped at it for a second, and then moaned quietly with his eyes still closed.

Jake touched his face gently, while I bit my lip and watched determinedly.

“Boy Scout-”

“I’m okay,” he said. He opened his eyes and stared up at him. His expression was… apologetic. Pleading. “It _tastes_ good, too.”

I laughed, shaking my head as a wave of relief spread collectively through the room.

“That’s good,” Zahra repeated my words, clearly elated. “A good sign.”

Jake just pressed his hand to Taylor's cheek, curling his fingers around the shape of his fragile bones.

Taylor sighed and put his lips to the straw again. He took a real pull this time. The action wasn’t as tentative as his first attempt. Like some instinct was taking over.

“How’s ya stomach? D'ya feel nauseated?” Mike asked.

Taylor shook his head. “No, I don’t feel sick,” he laughed. “There’s a first, eh?”

Zahra beamed. “Excellent.”

“I think it’s a bit early for that, Snape,” Mike murmured.

Taylor gulped another mouthful of blood. Then he flashed a look at Jake.

“Does this screw my total?” he pouted. “Or do we start counting after I’m a vampire?”

“No one's countin', Taylor. 'Sides, no one died for this.” He smiled a lifeless smile. “Ya record's still clean.”

They’d lost me, but I didn't care. I was just so relieved that they were actually talking; hell, even _looking_ at each other properly again.

“I’ll explain later,” Jake said anyway, so low the words were just a breath.

“What?” Taylor asked.

“Just talkin' to myself,” he lied smoothly.

If he succeeded with this, if Taylor lived, Jake wasn’t going to be able to get away with so much when his senses were as sharp as Jake's. He’d have to work on the honesty thing.

Jake’s lips twitched, fighting a smile.

Taylor chugged a few more ounces, staring straight ahead, through the window. Probably pretending we weren’t here, knowing him. Honestly, who the hell got stage fright about something so damn natural? Well, to his baby anyway , but really; was he going to be this shy about feeding when he was a vampire? Dumbass would never eat.

Jake rolled his eyes.

I rolled _my_ eyes in response. Still, at least my thoughts were innocent; about Taylor being an idiot, as opposed to the very imminent, very alone time I would be spending with Mike. I felt myself grow warmer, my heart kicking up a notch. _Not_ that there was anything to think about of course, because we were going to be so strictly focused on finding answers. I wasn't about to let myself get distracted by his sexy accent, his gorgeous face or his cute-

Jake snorted. Taylor’s eyes flicked to him immediately, and he smiled at the humor in his face. I could guess that wasn’t something he’d seen in a while.

“Something funny?” He demanded.

“Diego,” Jake answered easily.

Taylor looked over with a sly smile. “Diego’s a crack-up,” he agreed.

I cleared my throat and casually looked away from them all, Mike especially. “I have no idea what you're talking about,” I said dismissively.

He smiled again, and then took another swig from the cup. I grinned when the straw pulled at empty air, making a loud sucking sound. "Well, look who's a natural, huh?"

“I did it,” he said, sounding pleased. His voice was clearer; rough, but free of his nerves now he had managed this small feat. “If I keep this down, Mike, will you promise not to put any needles in me?” He pleaded immediately, batting his eyelashes at Mike. Intravenous feeding had been the only step left after this.

I told myself I didn't feel jealous about that, but from Jake's barely hidden grin, I wasn't very convincing, even in my own head.

“Sure thing, Kid,” he promised. “Honestly, I doubt they're gonna be able to do much good anyway.”

Zahra patted Taylor’s forehead, and they exchanged a hopeful glance.

And even Estela could see it; the cup full of human blood had made an immediate difference. His color was returning; there was a tiny hint of pink in his waxy cheeks. Already he didn’t seem to be half so fragile anymore. His breathing was easier, and I would swear his heartbeat was stronger, more even.

Everything accelerated.

That ghost of hope in Jake’s eyes had turned into the real thing.

“Would you like more?” Zahra pressed.

Taylor’s shoulders slumped.

Jake flashed a glare at Zahra before he spoke to Taylor. “Ya ain’t gotta drink more right away.”

“Yeah, I know. But… I want to,” he admitted glumly.

Zahra pulled her thin, sharp fingers through Taylor’s lank hair. “You don’t need to be embarrassed about that, Taylor. Your body has cravings. We all understand that.” Her tone was soothing at first, but then she added harshly, “Anyone who doesn’t understand shouldn’t be here.”

Taylor frowned. "Nobody feels that way…" he said, looking at Estela briefly before turning back to Zahra. "We're all in this together now… there's nobody here, who shouldn't be here."

Zahra scowled at me, like I'd made Taylor tell her off or turned him against her. I grinned and winked at her.

Mike took the cup from Taylor’s hand. “I’ll be right back.”

Taylor stared at me while he disappeared.

“Dude, you look awful,” he said.

“Look who’s talking.” I snorted.

“Seriously; when’s the last time you slept?” He asked, frowning at me.

I thought about that for a second. “Huh. I’m not actually sure.”

“Aw, Diego. Now I’m messing with _your_ health, too. Don’t be stupid.”

I rolled my eyes. Taylor was allowed to essentially give up on life for his little bundle of joy, but I wasn't allowed to miss a few nights sleep to make him stop being a dumbass and figure out how to get some answers. Typical.

“Get some rest, please,” he went on. “Your beds still upstairs-”

I blushed and looked down at my feet. I hadn't been in Mike's room since the morning before we'd come together in his office.

“Thanks, dude, but I'll just catch some shut eye on the flight over to the island.”

He grimaced. “Right.” He bit his lip. "You will be careful, won't you? I mean, don't do anything-"

Mike was back before Taylor could finish, and he reached out for the blood, absentminded, like he was thinking of something else. With the same distracted expression, he started sucking it down.

I laughed.

He really was looking better. He pulled himself upward slightly, into a straighter sitting position. Zahra hovered, her hands ready to catch Taylor if he sagged. But Taylor didn’t need her. Taking deep breaths in between swallows, he finished the second cup quickly.

"How do you feel now?” Mike asked.

“Not sick. Sort of hungry… only I’m not sure if I’m hungry or thirsty, you know?”

“Mike, just look at him,” Zahra murmured, so smug she should have canary feathers on her lips. “This is obviously what his body wants. He should drink more.”

“He's still human, Zahra. He needs food, too. 'S give it a 'lil while an' see how this affects him, an' then maybe we can try some food 'gain. Anythin' sound particularly good to ya, Kid?”

“Eggs,” he said immediately, and then he exchanged a look and a smile with Jake. His smile was brittle, but there was more life on his face than before.

I blinked then, and almost forgot how to open my eyes again.

“Diego,” Mike murmured. “Ya really oughta sleep. As Taylor said, ya welcome to the ya old bed here, though I know ya’ve been more comfortable outside." He said, glancing away briefly, before looking back at me. "Don’t worry 'bout anythin'... I promise I’ll find ya if anythin' happens 'fore we're ready to go.”

“I'm fine,” I mumbled. I was being stubborn I knew, but I didn't want to miss any time with Taylor before we left. I didn't think he was going to kick the bucket while we were gone or anything, but I still wanted to see him looking healthier as much as possible before we left.

Mike nodded and let me be my stubborn self, heading off to prepare some eggs for Taylor. I put my hand on Taylor’s; his was icy cold.

“Feel better?” I asked.

“Mmm," he sighed contently. "Thanks, Diego.” He turned his hand over and squeezed mine. I felt the thin band of his wedding ring riding loose on his skinny finger.

“For what?” I wondered, frowning as I tried to work out what I'd done that was worthy of thanks.

"For not giving up on me," he said, squeezing my hand again. "For being my best friend, and kicking my ass, so I saw some sense."

I snorted and jostled him carefully. "Anytime," I snickered.

Before he could say anything further, two howls pierced the still morning air. There was no mistaking the urgency of the tone. No misunderstanding this time.

“Dammit,” I snarled. I launched myself off the couch and threw myself through the front door. 

"Diego!" 

I didn't stop to see who was calling me or why, as I hurled my body off the porch, letting the fire rip me apart midair. There was a sharp tearing sound as my shorts shredded. Crap. I'd have to see about finding some more jeans later.

I landed on paws and took off toward the west.

 _What is it?_ I shouted in my head.

 _Incoming_ , Miles answered. _At least three_.

_Did they split up?_

_I’m running the line back to Miles at the speed of light_ , Michelle promised. I could feel the air huffing through her lungs as she pushed herself to an incredible velocity. The forest whipped around her. _So far, no other point of attack._

 _Miles, do **not** challenge them. Wait for me_.

_They’re slowing. Ugh… it’s so off not being able to hear them. I think…_

_What_? Tom was sleepy, but heading to meet us all.

 _I think they’ve stopped_.

_Waiting for the rest of the pack?_

_Shh. Feel that_?

I absorbed his impressions. The faint, soundless shimmer in the air.

 _Someone’s phasing_?

 _Feels like it,_ Miles agreed.

Michelle flew into the small open space where Miles waited. She raked her claws into the dirt, spinning out like a race car. _I got you, little bro._

 _They’re coming,_ Miles said nervously. _Slow. Walking._

 _Almost there_ , I promised. I tried to fly like Michelle. It felt horrible being separated from Miles and Michelle with potential danger closer to their end than mine. Wrong. I should be with them, between them and whatever was coming.

 _Look who’s getting all paternal_ , Tom snickered.

_Head in the game, dude._

_Definitely three_ , Miles decided. Kid had good ears. _Two wolves, one man._

I made the little clearing then, moving immediately to the point. Miles sighed with relief and then straightened up, already in place at my left shoulder. Michelle fell in behind him with a little less enthusiasm. Tom burst through the trees just after me; sliding straight into place on my right.

 _So now I rank under Miles_ , she grumbled to herself.

 _First come, first served_ , Miles thought smugly.

Tom snickered and looked back at her. _Still an upgrade from where you were in Sean's pack..._

_Under my baby brother is not an upgrade._

_Shh!_ I complained _. I don’t care where you stand. Shut up and get ready._

They came into view a few seconds later, walking, as Miles had thought. Kyle in the front, human, hands up. Julian and Collin on four legs behind him.

There was no aggression in their postures. They hung back behind Kyle, ears up, alert but calm.

But… it was weird that Sean would send Collin rather than Andy. That wasn’t what I would do if I were sending a diplomacy party into enemy territory. I wouldn’t send a kid. I’d send the experienced fighter.

 _A diversion_? Michelle thought.

Were Sean, Andy, and Brady making a move alone? That didn’t seem likely.

 _Want me to check? I can run the line and be back in two minutes._ Michelle offered.

 _Should I warn the Darwins_? Miles wondered.

 _What if the point was to divide us_ ? I asked distractedly. _The Darwins know something’s up. They’re ready._

 _Sean wouldn’t be so stupid…_ Michelle whispered, fear jagged in her mind. She was imagining Sean attacking the Darwins with only the two others beside him.

 _I'm not sure what Sean is capable of anymore, but I'm sure he wouldn't..._ I tried to assure her, though I was more than a little concerned by the image in her head, too. Mike was Sean's number one target after Taylor; I didn't like them being unprotected.

All the while, Kyle and the two wolves stared at us, waiting. It was eerie not to hear what Julian and Collin were saying to one another now, without their Alpha present. Their expressions were blank; unreadable.

Kyle cleared his throat, and then he nodded to me. “White flag of truce, Diego. We’re here to talk.”

 _Think it’s true_ ? Miles asked. _Makes sense, but…_

 _Yeah_ , Michelle agreed. _But_.

We didn’t relax.

Kyle frowned. “It would be easier to talk if I could hear you, too.”

I stared him down. I wasn’t going to phase back until I felt better about this situation. Until it made sense. Why Collin? That was the part that had me most worried.

“Okay. I guess I’ll just talk, then,” Kyle said. “Diego, we want you to come back.”

Julian let out a soft whine behind him. Seconding the statement.

“You’ve torn our family apart. It’s not meant to be this way.”

I snorted. I happened to feel I was exactly where I was supposed to be, and that this was exactly how it was meant to be. Then of course, there were a few unresolved issues between me and Sean at the moment.

“We know that you feel… strongly about the situation with the Darwins. We know that’s a problem. But this is an overreaction.”

Miles growled. _Overreaction? And attacking Diego's mate- I mean, our allies without warning isn’t?_

I sighed at his slip, but couldn't deny the warm flush it suffused me with. _Miles, you ever heard of a poker face? Cool it._

_Sorry._

Kyle’s eyes flickered to Miles and back to me. “Sean is willing to take this slowly, Diego. He’s calmed down, talked to the other Elders. They’ve decided that immediate action is in no one’s best interest at this point.”

 _Translation: They’ve already lost the element of surprise,_ Michelle thought.

It was weird how distinct our joint thinking was. The pack was already Sean’s pack, was already “them” to us. Something outside and other. It was especially weird to have Michelle thinking that way; to have her be a solid part of the “us.” I was surprised how much I liked it. Surprised but not entirely pleased by that particular development.

Ass, Michelle muttered in her thoughts. There may have been a slight affectionate tone to her thoughts, but I could also have been imagining that.

“Ricardo and Astrid agree with you, Diego, that we can wait for Taylor… to be separated from the problem. Killing him is not something any of us feel comfortable with.”

Though I’d just given Miles crap for it, I couldn’t hold back a small snarl of my own. So they didn’t care about murdering all the other innocents in the Darwin house, they just felt uncomfortable murdering Taylor, specifically? 

Kyle raised his hands again. “Easy, Diego. You know what I mean. The point is, we’re going to wait and reassess the situation. Decide later if there’s a problem with the… _thing_.”

 _Ha_ , Michelle thought. _What a load_.

 _You don’t buy it, either_? I was surprised at that. I'd thought Michelle would be the one most inclined to believe Sean.

 _I know what they’re thinking, Diego. What Sean’s thinking. They’re betting on Taylor dying anyway. And then they figure you’ll be so mad…_ she thought, trailing off to let me conclude for myself.

 _That I’ll lead the attack myself._ My ears pressed against my skull. What Michelle was guessing sounded pretty spot-on for Sean's warped sense of logic. I snorted and shook my fur out in irritation. _Guess they really don't know me that well, huh?_

 _I always knew you._ Miles whispered.

 _I know you did, kid_ . I huffed. _Question is whether they'll ever believe that or make out I've been brainwashing you._

“Diego?” Kyle asked.

I huffed a sigh.

_Michelle, make a circuit… just to be sure. I’m going to have to talk to him, and I want to be positive there isn’t anything else going on while I’m phased._

_Give me a break, Diego. You can phase in front of me. Despite my best efforts, I’ve seen you naked before; doesn’t do much for me, just like seeing me doesn't do anything for you._

_I’m not trying to protect the innocence of your eyes, I’m trying to protect our backs. Get out of here._

Michelle snorted once and then launched herself into the forest. I could hear her claws cutting into the soil, pushing her faster.

Nudity was an inconvenient but unavoidable part of pack life. With me being the only gay guy in the pack, things had been awkward at first; but once the gang got the hell over themselves and realised I wasn’t going to start drooling over them all, everyone’d thought nothing of it... until Michelle came along. Then it got _super_ awkward. Michelle had average control when it came to her temper; it took her the usual length of time to stop exploding out of her clothes every time she got pissed. The guys used to often think about her, which was uncomfortable for me; but I got used to it. The problem really came from when she caught them thinking about her.

Kyle and the others were staring at the place where she’d disappeared into the brush with wary expressions.

“Where’s she going?” Kyle asked.

I ignored him, closing my eyes and pulling myself together again. It felt like the air was trembling around me, shaking out from me in small waves. I lifted myself up on my hind legs, catching the moment just right so that I was fully upright as I shimmered down into my human self.

“Oh,” Kyle said. “Hey, Diego.”

“Kyle.”

“Thanks for talking to me.”

“Yeah.”

“We want you to come back, man.”

Julian whined again.

“Sorry, not gonna happen, Kyle.” I said easily. "Don't let the branches hit your ass on your way out of here."

“Come home,” he said, leaning forward. Pleading. “We can sort this out. You don’t belong here. Let the others come home, too.”

I laughed. “Right. Like I haven’t been begging them to do that from hour one.”

Miles snorted behind me.

Kyle assessed that, his eyes cautious again. “So, what now, then?”

I thought that over for a minute while he waited.

“I can't just turn this Alpha thing off and on as the mood strikes, you know. It's sort of permanent.” I drawled, folding my arms over my chest. Mike would be proud of my nonchalance I was sure. I flushed, and quickly decided to _not_ think about Mike while naked and around other guys. "And even if I could… I'm not ever going to go back, Kyle. Even if this lot," I huffed, patting Tom's shoulder fondly. "Choose to come back… _my_ place is here. With the Darwin's." I said, pausing briefly before taking a deep breath and smiling softly. "With _Mike_."

Kyle flinched, his disgust evident for one brief second. “You still belong with _us_.” He said slowly.

I snorted. "You almost sound like you believe that, like you aren't disgusted that I love a vampire." I shook my head. “Two Alphas can’t belong in the same place, Kyle. Remember how close it got last night? The instinct is too competitive.”

“So are you all just going to hang out with the parasites for the rest of your lives?” he demanded. “You don’t have a home here. You’re already out of clothes,” he pointed out. “You gonna stay wolf all the time? You know Michelle doesn’t like eating that way.”

"Why the hell are you asking me? I'm not in control of this lot, if I were; they'd have gone home already." I huffed, scowling at Tom when he nudged me with his nose playfully. “Michelle can do whatever she wants when she gets hungry. She’s here by her own choice; just like all of us. I’m not telling _anyone_ what to do.”

Kyle sighed. “Sean is sorry about what he did to you.”

"Pfft, I'll bet." I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "He's just sorry I told you all about it." 

"He _means_ it." Kyle insisted.

I snorted again. “Sure, sure. Whatever.” I shrugged. "I'm not mad anymore, if that's what you think."

“But?”

“But I’m not coming back, not now; not ever. We’re going to be here, to watch out for the Darwins for as long as that seems necessary. Because, despite what you think, this isn’t just about Taylor. We’re protecting those who should be protected. And that applies to the Darwins, too.”

Miles yelped softly in agreement.

Kyle frowned. “I guess there’s nothing I can say to you, then.”

“I did try to tell you that.” I reminded him. "As for this lot, well… it's up to them, really."

Kyle turned to face Miles, concentrating on him now, separate from me and Tom. “Astrid asked me to tell you; no, to beg you, to come home. She’s brokenhearted, Miles. All alone. I don’t know how you and Michelle can do this to her. Abandon her this way, when your dad just barely died—”

Miles whimpered.

“Ease up, Kyle,” I warned.

“Just letting him know how it is.”

I snorted. “Right.” Astrid was tougher than anyone I knew. Tougher than my dad, tougher than me. Tough enough to play on her kids’ sympathies if that’s what it took to get them home. But it wasn’t fair to work Miles that way. “Astrid’s known about this for how many hours now? And most of that time spent with Ricardo, Old Tom and Sean? Yeah, I’m sure she’s just perishing of loneliness. ’Course you’re free to go if you want, Miles. You know that.”

Miles sniffed.

I laughed. "I'll be sure to tell my dad to pass that on, when I call him later." I said, flicking him on the nose.

He licked my hand as Kyle blanched briefly; but then, a second later, Miles cocked an ear to the north. Michelle must be close. Jeez, she was fast. Two beats, and Michelle skidded to a stop in the brush a few yards away.

She trotted in, taking the point in front of Miles. She kept her nose in the air, very obviously not looking in my direction.

I appreciated that.

“Michelle?” Kyle asked.

She met his gaze, her muzzle pulling back a little over her teeth.

Kyle didn’t seem surprised by her hostility. “Michelle, you know you don’t want to be here.”

She snarled at him. I covered a grin with my hand while Tom coughed one of his dumb, wolfy laughs. Miles whined and nudged her with his shoulder.

“Sorry,” Kyle said. “Guess I shouldn’t assume. But you don’t have any ties to the bloodsuckers.”

Michelle very deliberately looked at her brother, to Tom and then at me.

“So you want to watch out for Miles and Tom, I get that,” Kyle said. His eyes touched my face and then went back to hers. Probably wondering about that last look; just like I was. “But Diego’s not going to let anything happen to them, and they’re not afraid to be here.” Kyle made a face. “Anyway, please, Michelle. We want you back. _Sean_ wants you back.”

Michelle’s tail twitched.

“Sean told me to beg. He told me to literally get down on my knees if I have to. He wants you home, Meech... where you belong.”

I saw Michelle flinch when Kyle used Sean’s old nickname for her. And then, when he added those last three words, her hackles rose and she was yowling a long stream of snarls through her teeth. I laughed openly. I didn’t have to be in her head to hear the cussing-out she was giving him, and neither did he. You could almost hear the exact words she was using.

I waited till she was done, the end of her tirade signaled by a long snort. “I’m going to go out on a limb here... and say that Michelle belongs wherever the hell she wants to be.”

Michelle growled, but, as she was glaring at Kyle, I figured it was in agreement.

Kyle grit his teeth and turned to Tom in a last, though Tom was already growling before he even finished turning. "Are you really prepared to protect these parasites?" He asked. "You're willing to leave Andrea in dang-"

Tom snarled furiously, his teeth snapping closed barely half an inch from Kyle's hand; every strand of fur standing on end.

"I'm gonna translate that into a 'don't bring my girl into this'..." I guessed.

Tom snorted at Kyle in confirmation, still growling even as he covered Kyle's leg in snot.

“Look, Kyle, _you’re_ still family, okay? You’ll all get past this little feud, but, until you do, you probably ought to stick to your land…" I sighed, gesturing around the other three. "Just so there aren’t misunderstandings. Nobody wants a family brawl, right? Sean doesn’t want that, either, does he?” I'm sure nobody could miss the sarcastic drawl of my words, but I smirked at them to emphasize how little faith I had in Sean's intentions.

“Of course not,” Kyle snapped. “We’ll stick to our land. But where is _your_ land, Diego? Is it vampire land?”

“Yeah, actually… it is. But don’t worry; this isn’t going to last forever.” I had to take a breath. “We estimate that there's probably about six weeks left, okay? Then the Darwins will probably leave; and Tom, Miles and Michelle will probably come home.”

Tom, Michelle and Miles all whined together, their noses turning my direction in synchronization.

“And what about _you_ , Diego?”

“I'll be going with the Darwin's.” I said with a wry grin. "I was planning to long before Sean sent me away."

Julian whined, and Kyle grit his teeth. “What if we need to talk?” Kyle asked.

“Howl; but watch the line, ’kay? We’ll come to you. And Sean doesn’t need to send so many. We aren’t looking for a fight.”

Kyle scowled, but nodded. He didn’t like me setting conditions for Sean. “See you around, Diego. Or not.” He waved halfheartedly.

“Wait, Kyle. Is Andy okay?”

Surprise crossed his face. “Andy? Sure, he’s fine. Why?”

“Just wondering why Sean sent Collin.”

I watched his reaction, still suspicious that something was going on. I saw knowledge flash in his eyes, but it didn’t look like the kind I was expecting.

“That’s not really your business anymore, Diego.”

“Guess not. Just curious.”

I saw a twitch from the corner of my eye, but I didn’t acknowledge it, because I didn’t want to give Julian away. He was reacting to the subject.

“I’ll let Sean know about your… instructions. Goodbye, Diego.”

I sighed. “Yeah. Bye, Kyle.”

"Wait." The new voice made Kyle stop dead in his tracks; his eyes widening in disbelief as Estela walked forward, emerging from the direction of the Darwin house.

"E-Estela!" Kyle yelped, his eyes shifting to me accusingly as I raised my palms defensively, before tactfully covering myself with them instead. "What have you-?!"

"You keep your eyes on me, whelp.” Estela demanded, drawing Kyle’s gaze back to her. “I drove myself here, of my own free will. Diego knew nothing about my coming here, until I pulled up on the drive. I heard…” she swallowed thickly. “I heard about some of the things Sean has done, and I wanted answers. Diego was good enough not to baby me.”

“You can’t trust-” Kyle objected, reaching toward her as if to snatch her away.

“Actually, I can.” Estela said firmly, drawing a small dagger from her back pocket and brandishing it before her, driving Kyle backward. “I can do whatever I want, because I’m not just some member of your _pack._ ” She said. “I came here, because Sean has been _lying_ to me... for months. Diego’s car is currently sat in our garage, did you know that? All this time, I could have helped everyone find him and stop what Sean was doing to him… and I didn’t, because I trusted him. My _mate,_ as the great imprinting decreed.” She sneered, shaking her head and drawing in a deep breath, as she gathered herself and tugged at the ring on her finger. “You can take this to him; and tell him from me…” she said, tossing the ring at Kyle, who caught it as much on reflex as by intent.

I flinched away from Estela, though her rage and pain were not aimed at me. “If you want Taylor, or his baby; you had best be prepared to kill me, in the process.” She said firmly, as I stared in awe. “I will not allow either one to be hurt, and for him to have even _considered_ …” she paused to collect herself. “He’s not the man I fell in love with.” She said pointedly, brandishing her dagger again. “If I see any one of you loitering around here, then I’ll defend Taylor in anyway possible, and if Sean thinks to claim I’m here under duress; or if he sends someone to ‘rescue’ me… I’ll plunge this straight into my own heart.”

“Estela!” I protested, stepping toward her, though wisely keeping my distance. “Nobody wants that, least of all Taylor-”

“Stay out of this, Diego, this is between me and Sean.” Estela snapped, glancing briefly at me, before turning back to Kyle. “I’m going to phone Ricardo, every day. I’ll give him an update and ask for one of my own. If Sean can’t end his madness, if he can’t let this go and change his goddamn ways… then we’re finished. As of now, my life is tied to Taylor’s baby. Once it’s born; I’ll come home… _if_ he’s got a grip on himself.”

Kyle stared in disbelief, looking down at the ring in his hand briefly, before swallowing thickly and turning back to Estela. “I’ll... pass that along.”

“Thanks.” She said tightly, bitterly even, as her eyes narrowed at him in warning.

“C’mon, guys,” Kyle said. He turned away from us, heading out of sight to phase because Estela was here. Andy and Collin were right on his heels, but Julian hesitated. He yelped softly, and I took a step toward him.

“Yeah, I miss you, too, bro.”

Julian jogged over to me, his head hanging down morosely. I patted his shoulder.

“It’ll be okay.”

He whined.

“Say hey to Andy for me.”

He nodded and then pressed his nose to my forehead. Michelle snorted. Julian looked up, but not at her. He looked back over his shoulder at where the others had gone.

“Yeah, go home,” I told him.

Julian yelped again and then took off after the others. I’d bet Kyle wasn’t waiting super-patiently. As soon as he was gone, I turned toward Estela, who was staring down at the ground darkly. “Estela…” I murmured, shaking my head slowly. “Are you _sure_ about this?”

Estela nodded just once, the motion sharp and determined. “He’s not the man I agreed to marry.” She said, turning to look at Michelle as she tentatively nudged at her hand. “I’m sorry he did that to you…” she whispered, as Michelle whined quietly and butted her head against Estela’s shoulder. “Yeah, I suppose we should get back… but hopefully that’s bought you enough time to go answer hunting on this mystery island.” Estela said, half to Michelle and half to me.

“Estela…” I murmured, as Estela shook her head and turned away, swinging herself onto Michelle’s back before she turned and loped away toward the house. Once they were gone, I pulled the warmth from the center of my body and let it surge through my limbs. In a flash of heat, I was on four legs again.

 _I thought you were going to make out with Julian for a second there_. Tom snickered.

I ignored him.

 _Was that okay?_ I asked them. It worried me, speaking for them that way, when I couldn’t hear exactly what they were thinking. I didn’t want to assume anything. I didn’t want to be like Kyle, or worse _Sean_ , that way. _Did I say anything you didn’t want me to? Did I not say something I should have?_

 _You did great, Diego!_ Miles encouraged.

 _You could have hit Kyle_ , Michelle thought as she ran Estela back to the house. _I wouldn’t have minded that._

 _Seconded_. Tom thought.

I was distracted by flickers of Michelle's memories, and I realised she’d picked Estela up along her loop. _It was her idea… she met me-_

 _It's okay… I just worry what it might have meant to her_. I said.

 _I know._ Michelle's sadness was double layered, understanding her former best friend and remembering her own pain too.

 _I guess we know why Andy wasn’t allowed to come,_ Miles thought, changing the subject.

I didn’t understand. _Not allowed?_

_Diego, did ya see Julian? He’s pretty torn up, right? I’d put ten to one that Andy’s chomping the bit, even more upset. He’s imprinted into your family now; and if your sister told him to follow you... Andy hates the Darwins, but he would do anything for Selma. So Sean’s not going to take any chances on him getting convinced to jump ship. He doesn’t want our pack any bigger than it is now._

_Really? You think? I doubt Julian would mind shredding some Darwins._ I remembered Julian's hatred for them, let alone Andy's; it was hard to imagine them joining us.

 _Julian would rather come and fight with you and me._ Tom insisted confidently. _I expect he’s under orders not to betray the pack… but Andy, well; ultimately he has the sway to abandon Sean now, if Selma asked it of him._

 _Well, I’m glad Sean kept him home, then. This pack is big enough_ . I sighed. _Okay, then. So we’re good, for now. Tom, Miles; you guys mind keeping an eye on things for a while? Michelle needs to crash, and I'm going to be heading out to La Huerta soon… I'll try to phase and check in; but you guys will need to coordinate and strategize. This felt on the level, but who knows? Maybe it was a distraction._

I remembered the feel of Sean’s commitment; The total one-track focus on destroying the danger he saw. It wasn’t paranoia to be prepared.

 _No problem!_ Miles was only too eager to do whatever he could. _You want me to explain to the Darwins? They’re probably still kinda tense._

_I got it. I’m gonna head back and phase anyway, get ready for the big journey._

They caught the whir of images from my fried brain.

Tom whimpered in surprise. _Ew_.

Michelle whipped her head back and forth as she ran with Estela, like she was trying to shake the image out of her mind. _That is easily the freakin’ grossest thing I’ve heard in my life. Yuck. If there was anything in my stomach, it would be coming back._

 _They are vampires, I guess,_ Miles allowed, compensating for Michelle’s reaction. _I mean, it makes sense. And if it helps Taylor, it’s a good thing, right?_

Both Tom and I stared at him.

 _What_? He demanded.

 _Mom dropped him a lot when he was a baby,_ Michelle told us.

 _On his head, apparently._ Tom snorted, as I rolled my eyes and turned to begin trotting back towards the house.

 _He used to gnaw on the crib bars, too._ Michelle added.

 _Lead paint?_ Tom asked.

 _Looks like it,_ she thought.

Miles snorted. _Funny. Why don’t you two shut up and let me run laps?_

I left them to it, heading back to the house with a tentative excitement building in my gut. _Heh, have fun, Diego._ Tom thought smugly, before I phased back to human and cut him out of my head.

“Stupid pack.” I grumbled.


	14. Return To La Huerta

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The. Feels.
> 
> Feel them.
> 
> FEEL THEM.
> 
> x Our love to you all x

**Return To La Huerta**

  
  


When I got back to the house, there was no one waiting outside for my report.

 _Still on alert? Everything’s cool..._ I thought tiredly. I trotted up to the front of the house, intending to run straight up the stairs and grab some of my old clothes that were, hopefully, still in the drawers I’d been given. Instead however, there was a stack of light-colored fabric on the bottom step of the porch. I strolled over and nudged the stack with my toes. Someone had laid out clothes. I huffed fondly, figuring Jake must have caught my moment of frustration as my shorts exploded.

I tugged them on quickly, tan trousers and a white button down shirt; clearly Craig’s again, but at least they fit me about right. Now dressed and nearly totally exhausted, I walked slowly up the Darwins’ porch steps in my fancy new second hand clothes. I covered my mouth with my hand as I yawned, strolling inside as I pushed the door open.

“They just wanted to talk,” I mumbled, my voice dragging with exhaustion. “No attack on the horizon.” I called through my yawn as I looked around the lounge.

Aleister and Grace stood by the back windows, looking down toward the river again. Quinn, Kele, and Craig were out of sight, but I heard them murmuring upstairs. Taylor was on the couch still, wrapped up like a burrito in a couple of thick quilts. Zahra was cross-legged on the ground by his head.

Jake sat at the other end of the couch with Taylor’s burrito’ed feet in his lap. He looked up when I came in and smiled at me; just a little twitch of his mouth, like something pleased him.

“Yeah,” Jake answered. “I heard a lotta it.”

I raised a brow in mild surprise. We’d been a good three miles out, and I hadn't realised his range was quite that far. “How?”

“I’m hearin' ya more clear; ’s a matter of familiarity an' concentration normally, but 's more like family connection with ya by this point." Jake said easily, as I flushed with a guilty smugness. Family connection was definitely something I could stand to be considered. "'Sides, ya thoughts're easier to pick up when ya in ya human form; so I caught most of what passed between ya’ll.”

“Sweet,” I grinned, trudging over and leaning across the back of the other couch with my palm in my chin. “Saves me having to repeat myself at least.”

Taylor eyed me worriedly. “I’d tell you to go get some sleep,” he sighed, “but my guess is that you’re going to pass out on the floor in about six seconds, so there’s probably no point.”

I stuck my tongue out at him in response, only to straighten and whirl around with a yelp, when I felt a playful but firm swat to my ass. "Ya ready to get goin'?" Mike asked, an odd gleam in his eyes as he grinned at my suddenly burning face.

"I, uh, yes! I mean, no! I mean-" I stammered, gripping the back of the couch as Taylor and Jake snickered behind me. I was pretty sure even Estela was chuckling quietly. "Clothes!" I yelped abruptly, as Taylor all out laughed. Mike raised a brow, his grin growing as I cleared my throat and shuffled awkwardly out from between him and the couch, jerking my thumb over my shoulder as I turned to keep my face toward him. Apparently I liked to torture myself by letting him see my burning embarrassment even longer. "I need to… grab some. F-for… changing." I stumbled over the stupidly easy words, ignoring Taylor's amusement as I turned quickly and hurried up the stairs.

 _Well that was fifty shades of awkward, well done, Diego._ I thought, sighing as I shook my head in frustration. I trotted along the hall to Mike's room, pointedly ignoring the stupidly large bed he'd bought and assembled when I first came to stay with them. A little lost wolf pup, with nowhere to turn but the very people who were supposed to be my enemy. _Who would have thought so much could change, and so quickly? Or was it just that I never found the right path; found who I was truly meant to be, until I came here?_

I brushed the dumb thoughts aside, grabbing a change of clothes from the chest of drawers Mike had first emptied; and then filled with clothes for me. I shoved them into a small rucksack I had stored in the wardrobe, and then grabbed my trainers too. I might be content with going barefoot, but it was going to look weird in the more civilised areas of our journey, if I weren't wearing shoes.

With my things sorted, I headed for the door, before I finally glanced at the bed; immediately overwhelmed by a pang of loss, imagining what could have been.

 _Or could yet be…_ the dangerous thought brushed through my mind as I stepped into the hallway, my eyes turning toward Mike's office automatically. My heart thudded heavily in my chest.

It was a dumb idea. A Taylor worthy idea. But maybe, just this once; I could let myself take a leaf out of his book. Maybe this once, I could do something rash and impulsive… and potentially get something amazing in return, a lifelong happiness which would just keep on giving. I bit my lip, as I debated for all of thirty seconds, before hurrying to Mike's office and moving quickly to his desk. I hesitated, considering my last chance to walk away undiscovered as I slowly tugged open the drawer Taylor had shown me.

My breath caught, just as it had before.

I ran my fingers over the deep blue collar, tracing the three golden letters fondly before tentatively picking it up. I bit my lip as I turned it over in my hands slowly, noticing it had a small golden buckle at the back. My heart was racing like a damn train, hurtling along its track. 

My hands were shaking as I reached up and buckled the collar around my neck, my skin on fire as I ran my fingers over it, once it was latched into place. I was desperate to see what he would make of it, when he saw me wearing it.

I frowned as a twist of nerves struck me like a physical blow. I wasn't sure if Mike would actually be pleased by this Taylor induced idiocy; and I wasn't sure I wanted witnesses to see it.

With a grimace I quickly buttoned the top of my shirt. I probably looked like an idiot, but I didn't care. If it did work in my favour, then it would be worth it in the end.

I shut the drawer on Mike's desk quietly and trotted to the door, glancing back with a pang of longing as I remembered again, the intimate exchange we'd shared within. "And hopefully will again." I breathed, low enough that I was sure nobody would hear me. 

I took a deep breath and turned, trotting down the stairs quickly with a small yawn. "Okay, ready when you are." I said, ignoring the way my neck seemed to burn beneath the collar, as I looked over at Mike. "Are you sure you wanna do this? I mean, shouldn't you stay with-?"

"Nah, Ripley's gonna keep everyone under control." He said, shaking his head as he cocked his thumb toward Estela.

I barely glanced to catch her swift nod, too determined to avoid Jake's knowing grimace and Taylor's smug grin.

"Okay…" I said, trying to ignore the nervous squirming in my gut. "Um, can I borrow someone's phone? I need to call Ricardo…" 

Taylor's grin grew as he pointed to his phone, already waiting for me on the back of the couch. "Good luck." He said, though from his tone I could tell he meant for far more than either speaking to my dad or searching for answers about his miracle pregnancy.

"Thanks." I muttered, scooping up his phone and clutching it tightly, as Mike moved to the door in the blink of an eye. I finally looked at Taylor, noticing the concern buried in his deep blue eyes. "Behave." I said, pointing at him warningly.

Taylor flashed a grin, saluting me roughly as I rolled my eyes and waved briefly, before turning and heading out the front door.

My heart was in my throat, my stomach twisting itself into knots as Mike followed me silently; and I only barely managed to resist the urge to glance back at him as I made my way to the red Jaguar parked just outside the porch steps.

Mike slid past me to the drivers side without saying anything, and I hesitated as I glanced between the front and back doors; trying to decide which would be a better seat for me to take. If I sat in the back, I was likely to fall asleep; but if I sat in the front I would be in close proximity to Mike at all times, and I doubted I would be able to sleep.

To cover my brief hesitation, I opened the back door and tossed my bag in, before closing it and pulling open the front; sliding quickly into the passenger seat and pulling it closed after me before I could chicken out. "So um," I said, my voice thick as I tried to buy myself some time by fumbling with my seat belt. Pointless? Yes, but Mike's amused grin when I finally glanced at him made it worth it. "H-how far to the airport..?" 

"'Bout twenty minutes." He replied, revving the engine gently before pulling away.

I raised a brow. "Just how fast are you planning on driving?" I asked, my lip curling with amusement. 

Mike chuckled quietly. "Private airstrip… 's just a couple miles out." He explained.

"O-oh…" I said, my stomach twisting nervously as I turned my eyes to the window, watching the scenery flit by us rapidly. "I-I've never flown before." I admitted, biting my lip as my fingers gripped my trouser legs tightly.

"Heh, don't worry." Mike chuckled. "I'll keep ya safe." He promised.

"I know." I nodded without turning to look at him, my lips flickering into a smile.

I was hyper aware of him, of his body reclined casually as he drove, his hand resting on the gear stick beside me. 

Sleep was most definitely impossible in this seat.

I debated calling Ricardo, but then I'd have nothing to do while we were on the plane. So, like a true chickenshit, I feigned sleep.

Mike chuckled quietly, but let me fake sleep in peace; and sure enough, barely twenty minutes later, we were pulling into a small airstrip.

"Wow," I murmured, not having to feign the thick exhaustion in my voice. "This is yours?"

"Technically 's Jake's, but we're both licenced to fly ol' Delilah." He said, shrugging his shoulder lightly. "C'mon… sooner we're airborne, sooner ya can catch some shut eye." He said as he climbed out and disappeared on the plane in the blink of an eye.

I bit my lip, nodding as I unfastened my seat belt and grabbed my bag from the backseat. "Okay…" I breathed, closing my eyes briefly and touching the collar beneath my shirt. "I can do this." I said, nodding my head firmly and opening my eyes at the same time I threw open my door; hurrying up onto the plane with a leap which would have made normal humans scream.

"Should I close this..?" I called, hesitating by the door as I glanced toward the cockpit.

"Unless ya wanna real strong draft all flight." Mike snorted back.

I rolled my eyes and grumbled under my breath, turning to pull the large door closed and shoving the handle into place. "Okay, closed and locked." I called, looking around for the first time.

There were more seats than I'd expected; a small passenger craft, rather than the two person flyer I'd been expecting. "Wow… did you guys ever use this for private flights?" I asked, guessing at its purpose as I dropped my bag into one of the empty seats.

"For awhile, yeah." Mike replied, amid the sound of flicking switches and engines warming up. "'S mostly to keep Grandpa outta trouble, bein' honest. He gets real bored, real quick without somethin' to keep him occupied. Well, he did; 'fore Taylor came along." He said, as I stepped into the cockpit doorway.

"Hmm, I can imagine that actually." I mused thoughtfully, thinking of his frantic behaviour since they'd returned from their honeymoon. "Maybe once we get this whole baby thing out of the way, he'll calm down again."

"I'm hopin' so." Mike admitted, sighing as he finished his preparations. "'Course, this could all end a real different way." He added quietly, as I winced and lowered myself into the co-pilots seat.

"It won't." I said confidently, ignoring the nervous twitch in my gut as I flashed a warm smile at Mike. "You're the best doctor in the world… I have faith in you." I said.

Mike's expression twisted with a range of emotions, his concern palpable in each; before he finally threw me a lopsided grin in return. "Thanks for gettin' him to lemme look him over a bit more… 's made a difference already, bein' able to assess what he needs."

"I didn't really do much," I protested weakly, pretending not to notice how my supud heart had begun to beat a little too quickly at the sight of his smile. "Taylor just… needs to be whacked 'round the head with common sense every so often." I huffed, biting my lip as Mike chuckled.

"Here," he said, offering me a small candy. 

I raised a brow. "Uh… thanks?" I said, eyeing the sweet dubiously. How had we gone from talking about Taylor to suddenly gifting candy? Did he expect one in return?

Mike laughed at the obvious confusion on my face, still snorting quietly as I snatched the sweet and stuffed it into my mouth. "Make sure ya suck it… 's for the altitude change." He explained. "I ain't sure how it'll affect ya, bein' a…" he said, worrying his lip as he glanced over with genuine concern. "But suckin' 'em seems to help humans, so I'm hopin' ya ears won't pop too bad or nothin'..."

"Pop?" I yelped, my hands already half risen towards my ears.

"Just… lemme know if 's too bad an' I'll steal us a sports car to get us to the coast instead." He said, glancing at me worriedly. His hand twitched on the plane yolk, as if he were about to reach for me, but then he faced forward again; watching the runway disappear beneath us as we slowly lifted off the ground.

I looked down out of the window, my breath catching at the fascinating sight of the ground so far below me.

I sucked on the candy he'd given me for several long minutes, waiting tensely for some change which might signal pain; but other than a faint build in pressure, I felt nothing different. 

"Alright… looks like ya gonna be all good on the flyin' front." Mike said after a few moments, laughing when I jumped in my seat.

“Ass…” I mumbled, looking back out the window briefly, as the ground flew by beneath us. I frowned curiously. “I didn’t think small planes like this could move this fast…” I mused, glancing back at Mike when he coughed guiltily. 

“Uh,” he flashed me a crooked grin, the kind which never failed to set my pulse soaring. “We might’ve had Snape adapt her a ‘lil.” He admitted un-repentantly. “We’re fond of things which go fast.” 

“Hmm, I kind of got a bit of a speed thing when I first started phasing… was the only thing I really enjoyed about it, if I’m honest.” I said distractedly, my eyes locked onto the console before me as I lost myself to my daydreams. “I always looked forward to the day I’d never have to phase again… but I hoped I’d still have the speed boost.” I sighed. “Guess everyone has at least one pointless dream in their lifetime.”

“Ain’t a pointless dream.” Mike countered instantly, his hand making the strange jerking motion on the yolk again. “Ya ain’t ever really got what ya pals did outta bein’ in the pack… ‘s understandable ya’d look forward to the day ya didn’t have to anymore.”

I smiled tiredly. “Unobtainable then.” I huffed, shaking my head. “Being an Alpha of my own pack isn’t exactly going to give me the option to just turn everything off again.” I said, frowning thoughtfully.

Mike was quiet for a moment, before clearing his throat quietly. “How’s that treatin’ ya?” He asked. “Bein’ an Alpha, I mean…”

I sighed, shaking my head slowly. “It’s a pain in the ass.” I complained, as Mike laughed. “It is! None of them ever shut up, they never do as I damn well tell them, they never show me any respect; and they’re always damn well teasing me!” I said, waving my arm in exasperation.

“What they teasin’ ya ‘bout?” He asked, glancing over amid his laughter.

“Urgh, mostly about-” I bit my lip abruptly, clearing my throat to bite back the word I’d been about to say. _You._ I thought instead. _They tease me about how much I love you._ How lucky now, that Mike couldn’t read my thoughts like Jake could. “A-about how shit I am as an Alpha, because I don’t give orders like Sean did.” I lied, blushing guiltily and hoping that he didn’t notice. “They’re all assholes.” I grumbled, as Mike chuckled at my grumpiness.

“They obviously don’t believe ya a shit Alpha, or they wouldn’t be followin’ ya.” He said gently. Why was it that his calm reasoning was so comforting to me? Why did his kindness have to make my knees feel weak?

“Hmpf,” I groused. “They’re still assholes.” I mumbled, as Mike chuckled again. I glanced out the window and blinked at the rapidity with which the countryside blitzed past beneath us. “Um, so… how long until we get to this mystery island?” I wondered aloud, feeling slightly dizzy at the whizzing scenery and choosing not to look out the window anymore.

“Couple hours.” Mike said negligently, grinning at me when I paled. “Thought ya liked speed?” He laughed.

“Yeah, but…” I shivered involuntarily. “I’m not so sure I like the kind of speed which would make it near impossible for even _me_ to heal, should we crash.”

“I ain’t ‘bout to let anythin’ happen to ya.” Mike said immediately, suddenly serious. My heart leapt at his certainty, my hands curling into balls in my lap as a happy glow began to blaze in my chest.

I bit my lip, trying to ignore the blush I could feel burning my cheeks. “So… what did Zahra do exactly, make this part Concorde?” I teased, though Mike’s grin and wink in answer soon wiped the smile from my face. “No shit… Zahra designed the Concorde?!” I yelped, shaking my head in disbelief. “Wow.”

“Eh, she reckons she could do better… like Delilah here, but humans wouldn’t exactly be that safe, so she dumbed it down for ‘em.” Mike said dismissively.

“Wow.” I said again, before we lapsed into an almost comfortable silence. This was a chance I should be lapping up, the chance to finally talk to him and tell him I was sorry, that I still loved him and would do anything for him to give me a second chance.

Apparently, my courage was currently quivering in my rarely worn trainers however, and so after ten minutes of silence, I cleared my throat. “Um, is it okay to use the phone here?” I asked, cocking my thumb over my shoulder to the rest of the plane. “I was going to call my dad and fill him in on some stuff.” 

“Yeah, should be fine for ‘nother hour or so… just make sure ya finished by the time we gotta start landin’ procedures.” He replied.

I frowned. “Hey, has anyone spoken to Scott?” I asked. “Isn’t he going to-”

“Kid phoned when he first got back…” Mike said quietly, his eyes sad as he stared ahead. “When he sounded his worst… told him he picked up a rare disease, that he’s in quarantine.” He sighed. “I went ‘long with it… seemed best at the time. He didn’t take it none too well, but he were real grateful that I was takin’ care of him.” He shook his head slightly. “I just hope I don’t let ‘em down…”

“You won’t.” I said instantly, hesitating as I half turned out of my seat to rest my hand on his shoulder. My hand burned at the feel of him, an intense longing ripping through me. I squeezed gently, before quickly dropping my hand again, not trusting myself not to do something really stupid if I kept touching him. “You’ll see… Taylor, his baby; they’ll both make it. And then we’ll all stay together, wherever the future takes us.”

“Heh, stickin’ ‘round, huh?” I flinched at the familiar words, remembering the last time he’d said them to me. I met his brown eyes evenly, nodding slowly.

“I am.” I said firmly, drawing in a deep breath. “Nothing could tear me away now.” I hoped my eyes conveyed the certainty and determination I felt, hoped he would see the rigid truth of my words.

But with a quiet chuckle, Mike's eyes left mine. "Heh, heard that before." He said beneath his breath.

I flinched as if I'd just been struck by lightning, Mike glanced back at me, seeming about to apologise; but I shook my head and quickly shoved my way out of the cockpit, hurrying to the furthest damn end of the plane before he could say anything else.

Once I was safely ensconced in my cowards retreat, I sucked in a deep breath, leaning back and thunking my head to the wall as I slid to the ground slowly. 

I was an idiot to have been so surprised by his comment, hell, I should have been more surprised that he hadn't thrown one of my many broken promises back at me before now. I hung my head between my knees, gripping Taylor's phone tightly in my hand. I should have expected far worse treatment than the kindness he'd shown me since I'd finally found my way back.

With a sigh I forced myself to push thoughts of Mike aside, opening Taylor's phone and scrolling through his contacts until I found my father's number, and hitting the green call button. I lifted the phone to my ear, and listened to the monotonous ringing without even noticing it, as I waited for Ricardo to pick up.

I was swarmed by a sudden, irrational fear; that Sean's poison would have infected my father, and he too would insist that Taylor's baby were a monster to be destroyed. I was terrified to lose him now, after seemingly growing closer again.

The ringing stopped.

"Hello?" 

For a second I couldn't speak, trying to burn the memory of my dads voice into my memory. Just in case.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

I cleared my throat, sucking in a deep breath and steeling my nerves for the worst. "... hi, dad." I said quietly, so my voice wouldn't break from the strain I felt.

"Diego!" My father's relief made my shoulders slump suddenly, my heart skipping a hopeful beat as he began to speak rapidly. "Son, what's happening? Sean was supposed to come to a council meeting, but he never showed; I was just about to head down and ask Mike whether he knew what was going on… neither Tom, Miles nor Michelle have been home; and Andy is dodging your sister-"

"Dad, dad… slow down." I sighed. I wasn't sure why I hadn't expected this. I supposed that a part of me hoped that Sean hadn't done exactly what I'd first suspected he would do. Retreat, force the pack to go radio silent and pass on his lies. "I'll tell you everything, but… it's going to take awhile and well, some of it is pretty fucked up; even by _our_ standards." I said, shaking my head wryly.

"Alright…" Ricardo's relief was palpable on the line. "Are you alright, son?" He asked, concern in his tone.

"I'm running on fumes sleep wise but, I guess otherwise I'm fine, thanks old man." I said. Apart from the crippling nerves about trying to win back the trust, love and hopefully my relationship with a certain sexy as hell, vampire doctor… and the fear that something might happen to Taylor while I was away. But I chose not to mention that.

"Okay…" we were silent for a moment. How exactly was I supposed to start explaining? "Where are you? Is that an engine? You better not be driving, supernatural skills be damned, I'll tan your-"

I laughed. "I'm not phoning you while at the wheel, dad." I huffed, rolling my eyes. "I'm on a plane; Mike's flying me over to the island where Jake and Taylor had their honeymoon."

"Oh." Ricardo was quiet, thoughtful for a moment as he processed the information. "Does this have to do with the call I had from Scott, where he broke down telling me Taylor was sick?"

I winced guiltily. "Yeah…" I sighed. "He uh, he picked something up out there… and we're going to try and find out how." I said slowly, biting my lip as I anticipated his next question.

"What'd he pick up?" 

I sighed. "A..." I coughed quietly, half hoping he didn't hear me. "... baby…" I winced, wishing there were literally anything else I could have said.

Ricardo laughed. "Sorry, for a moment I thought you said a… ha! A baby!" He snorted, as I sighed again.

"Yeah…" I said, shaking my head as I tried to inject some humour into my tone. "Taylor always likes to keep us on our toes." I tried to laugh, but I knew the sound was too strained to be genuine. My dad remained silent, so I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "Just… sit tight and let me explain, okay?"

Ricardo remained silent, which I took as an agreement.

"Well, Taylor and Jake were on an island called La Huerta for around a month… Taylor appears to be around three months pregnant, but has _actually_ only been pregnant around three weeks; so we're _guess-timating_ that he's maturing at roughly, a week per month ratio." I said, biting my lip and shaking my head, knowing what my father would be thinking. "He was… not doing very well. As a human, he's naturally not built to deal with that kind of strain on his body. He couldn't keep any food down and he was… wasting away, basically. I'm guessing that's when he called Scott." 

Ricardo's silence was concerning now. I was just about to ask if he were still there, worried he might have passed out, when he cleared his throat. "Is he..?"

"No, he's okay now; else Mike would never have offered to fly me over here." I assured quickly. "We realised, with a little outside help, that his baby needed a diet more consistent with Jake's…"

"You mean..?" I could practically hear the blood draining out of my fathers face. 

"Yeah, he needed blood." I said quietly, snorting and shaking my head. "Did you know he's always passed out at the sight or smell of blood before? Heh, idiot saw this as his first vampiric act; he was so damn proud of himself…"

I was surprised when Ricardo actually chuckled. "That sounds like him." He said, falling silent for a moment. "You mentioned… outside help?"

I sighed. "Yeah… well, just after I saw him for the first time, before we figured out what he needed and he looked like shit…" I swallowed thickly. "I phased, wanting to check the perimeter… but, I wasn't the only wolf there."

"Oh my…" Ricardo understood instantly, it was clear from his tone. "Sean was told to apologise by the council, we never thought he would actually cross your line though, we never said to invade your territor-"

"I know, dad, I'm not mad." I assured. "Well, I am at Sean; but not you." I huffed. "I chased him back to Hartfeld but it was too late, he had the whole pack riled up. I told them a few truths, but he overruled them all, ordered Tom and Miles to fall in; to take me out…" I paused, my throat thick with the weight of the fear and pain which I still felt at the thought I might have failed my loved ones. "So I couldn't warn the Darwin's. That he planned to attack." 

Ricardo sucked in a deep breath, and I paused; debating whether I should continue, before sighing and realising there wasn't really a choice. He had to know everything; they all did.

"Taylor, and his baby, are his number one priority… but he plans to destroy the rest of the Darwin's too." I said quietly, leaning my head back against the plane hull. "He sent Kyle and a couple of guys to talk to us earlier; said that the council decided to wait until Taylor had the baby, and then reassess… but, I get the feeling that wasn't entirely true." I sighed.

"No. It was not." Ricardo's temper is something that I've only really witnessed twice in my life. Once when my mom died; and once after he lost the use of his legs. It took a lot to piss my dad off… I was kind of grateful to be so very far away from him right now. "This explains why he's disappeared. He knows he's going to have to face the council for this. To threaten your life alone is bad enough, but your mate and family too… it's the equivalent of you threatening Estela, he should know that." He sighed. "Lord knows what I'm to tell her…"

"She knows." I said quietly, hesitating as he fell into a shocked silence. "Tom fought off Sean's order when he tried to turn the pack on me… he gave me the chance to escape, only, he and Miles then chose to come with me." I couldn't hide the bite of frustration in my tone, and I rolled my eyes when my dad barked with laughter. "Yeah, yeah; laugh it up, old man… anyway, they were annoying and wouldn't leave when I asked, so now I have a pack."

Ricardo chuckled at the mulish, bitterness in my tone. "I'm guessing that's where Michelle has disappeared off to as well then?" 

"Yeah," I sighed. "She showed up in the morning, filled us in on stuff that happened after we left and then about how Sean was supposed to meet with you. Then…" I swallowed thickly. "Before she came to join us, she went to see Estela. Said she should talk to me." I bit my lip guiltily. "I didn't like it… but she took one look at Taylor and swore she'd protect him and his baby. She said… my car has been in their garage all along. Sean lied to her one time too many. When Kyle and the guys came, she told them that Sean would have to kill her himself before she let him touch Taylor or his baby."

"My word…" Ricardo exhaled a deep breath, I could hear him shaking his head sadly. "To think that an imprinted mate could be driven to stand against their partner. What in heavens name has got into that boy?" He demanded, as I heard him smack his fist onto a table. "I guess this explains why Andy hasn't been by to see your sister…"

"Mm, Sean won't take the risk that she would ask him to support me." I agreed. "It's probably for the best… I already get teased enough by my stupid pack." I grumbled petulantly, as my dad laughed lightly. We were quiet for a moment, allowing him some time to absorb everything he'd been told. "I don't know what's going on with Sean…" I finally sighed. "But I just wanted to let you know everything that was going on. I know it puts you in a tricky position with Scott… but obviously he can't see Taylor with his little baby bump." I snorted, rolling my eyes.

"No… I'll console him as best I can, and let Old Tom and Astrid know about your new pack." Ricardo said, chuckling quietly when I grumbled. "Do you know how long you and your doctor are going to be?"

I could feel my skin lighting on fire, my eyes darting to the cockpit guiltily. "Dad..!" I hissed in a low whisper, my fingers flying guiltily to the collar which lay hidden beneath my shirt. "He's not _my_ , I mean, we're not… I don't think-"

"Son," Ricardo sighed over all my babbling, shutting me up with minimal effort. "I love you, boy… but if you're really trying to tell me you think that man doesn't still love you? Well, I'm gonna be mighty disappointed that I have to tell people you've actually been as dumb as Taylor, at least once in your life."

My jaw clicked shut abruptly, my nostrils flaring with outrage. That was a pretty low blow, because there was _no way_ I could ever do anything as stupid as Taylor.

 _Except try and go back to Hartfeld after Sean gave us a death threat._

The thought whipped through my mind as I scowled at the opposite side of the plane. "You know what, old man? That was just…" I struggled to find the right word. "Y-you're just… _rude._ " I finally spluttered. "That's what you are, just plain rude. I'm going to hang up now." I grumbled, as my dad chuckled fondly.

"I love you too, boy." He said warmly. "Go get yourself a good seeing to while you two are away together…"

" _Dad!_ " I yelped, flinching as if he'd struck me, my face burning with mortification.

"Well, maybe it'll do you both good. Pick up where you left off and all…" Ricardo chuckled, either ignorant of or wilfully ignoring my embarrassment. "Remember to use your big boy words and tell him what you want, he can't know if you don't tell hi-"

" _Oh my god, shut up!_ " I whined, shaking my head quickly. " _Goodbye, dad!_ " I hissed, ending the call and tossing my phone onto the floor beside me. "Urgh, there are just some things that parents should not try to discuss with their kids." I shuddered, scowling as I remembered the ease with which I'd always lived with Ricardo, never having to worry about him giving me the dreaded sex talk.

"I feel dirty." I complained quietly, hugging my knees to my chest and resting my chin atop them. It was pretty uncomfortable, given how long my legs were now, but still; it helped me keep my nervous energy from leaking out of me.

I sighed, shaking my head slowly, wondering if there were anyone who _didn't_ have an opinion of my relationship with Mike; or current lack thereof.

My fingers brushed the collar beneath my shirt, my stomach tying itself into a cautiously happy knot as I thought of our landing. I wasn't an idiot, I didn't expect it was going to be easy to undo all the pain I'd caused him, or to earn his forgiveness for it… but I hoped maybe we could heal together, and move on from there.

Logically I knew I should take this opportunity to sleep, so we could get started with our searching as soon as we landed; but I was too restless. 

What if he rejected me? If I had left it too late?

I shook my head, trying to clear the useless thoughts aside. I needed to be sure of myself, or Mike would never be sure of me.

With that decision noted, the question which then floated into my mind; how was I supposed to go about this?

Should I act as if the past hadn't happened? Should apologise and swear to spend the rest of my life making it up to him? Should I drop to my knees and beg unashamedly for his forgiveness?

I felt my face warm, imagining something else I could do while on my knees.

"One step at a time, Pup…" I muttered under my breath. The nickname didn't feel the same from my own lips, though I assumed it never would from anyone but _him_. I sighed at the pang of bitter longing which swept through me, rising to my feet and shuffling back through to the cockpit.

"Turns out I called him just in time… he was about to stop by the house." I said by way of greeting, choosing to ignore our parting words entirely. "I can almost imagine if he'd have walked in there unprepared." I snorted, flopping back into the co-pilot seat and sighing as I closed my eyes. Exhaustion swamped me, but so did the familiar hyper awareness of Mike's every move, just a short distance away from me.

"Heh, would've been a heck of a way to give him a heart attack." Mike huffed, as I hummed in vague agreement and opened my eyes. An awkward silence settled in the small cockpit briefly, before Mike cleared his throat. "Why don't ya get some shut eye? I can wake ya up when we land… I mean, ya gotta've been 'wake now for close to 'bout thirty three hours, right?"

I blinked, wondering how he knew how long I'd been awake so precisely. "I uh, I can't right now." I admittedly awkwardly. "Too keyed up… guess I'm just too curious about what we're gonna find out there…" I added, gesturing through the windscreen ahead of us.

"I ain't sure." I glanced over to see Mike frowning into the distance. "I gotta admit, I find it hard to accept there's somethin' here that can defy basic laws of nature… an' gender." He chuckled humourlessly. "I dunno if we're even gonna find answers, bein' honest."

"We have to." I said quickly, determined despite my exhaustion. "The more we know, the better equipped we are to help Taylor… I know you can't stay long, but if we haven't found anything in three days then you can always go back and I'll just keep looking on my own." I said lightly, pretending I didn't notice my heart fluttering briefly, crumbling at the thought of Mike leaving my side at all.

Mike didn't reply, he just stared straight ahead at the dark sky ahead of us; and I was too chickenshit to look over at him. Instead, I toyed with the cuff of my shirt, biting my lip as I stared at the open sky ahead of us. 

"We're gonna be landin' in 'bout five minutes…" Mike said quietly, snorting when I jumped in my seat, surprised by the sudden noise after the silence. 

"Wow…" I said in reply, surprised that I had spent so long talking to my dad on the phone, and then worrying myself pointlessly. "And here I was just starting to enjoy my first flight." 

Mike chuckled quietly. "I'll take ya out again sometime, once shit's settled down a little."

I felt my cheeks warm at the casual offer. "Thanks…" I mumbled.

We were quiet after that, watching the island grow larger as we approached. I leaned forward in my seat, staring at the beautiful scenery ahead of us.

Mike guided the plane to a small airstrip, hidden amongst the edge of a sprawling jungle, thick with fauna and flora the likes of which I had never seen. Flowers seemed to glow wherever they grew on either trees or bushes, pulsing with an unnatural, but no less beautiful light.

Once he’d landed and we’d climbed out, I couldn’t help but look around with wonder. “Wow… no wonder they stayed here so long.” I breathed, smiling at a small blue fox when it sneezed and consequently froze the flower it had been sniffing. “I don’t know why I’m not more surprised by that, but it’s just too cute to be freaking out over.”

Mike snorted. “That or ya just too damn tired to process it,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes as he waved his hand for me to follow him. “C’mon, cabin’s this way. Ya need to get some rest, then we’ll start searchin’ in the mornin’.”

“I’m oka-” I didn’t get to finish my sentence, before Mike shot me a sharp glance and I quickly rethought my protests. “Ahem, so… how far?” I asked instead, pretending not to notice the slight rise in my voice. 

Mike chuckled again, his dark expression morphing easily into the light hearted grin I knew and loved so well. "Ain't far, we'll be there in 'bout five minutes, P-"

My heart clenched as Mike fall silent abruptly, his eyes locked ahead of us as the scenery began to blur past us. If he were about to use that nickname which was sacred to me alone, then surely there was more than a little hope that I could put things right between us?

We trekked in silence, and I gradually began to slow, my breathing growing laboured as the temperature around us skyrocketed with an abruptness which only exacerbated my previous exhaustion. "Wh-what the hell..?" I wheezed, shaking my head at the wave of dizziness which swept through me. The heat was stifling, beyond ridiculous. Combined with my already high temperature, I found myself swaying, staggering after Mike as if I were drunk. "M… Mike-" I barely managed to choke out, before the ground pitched upward to meet me.

Darkness overtook me at the same time as cool relief found me, two cold iron bars beneath me, pinning me against an icy wall.

"Shh… don't try to talk." Mike's voice urged me, though I couldn't tell from where. "'S exhaustion, combined with the heat… ya'll be alright, I promise ya, just rest." 

I wanted to tell him to shut up, but then I was rolling onto a softness beneath me, and the icy wall was in front of me, and the cold iron bars curled around my back… holding me?

I heard Mike chuckle distantly. "I told ya not to try'n talk… just bloody well sleep already, would ya?" He snorted, as I pressed my forehead to the cold wall and sighed with relief.

I didn't want to sleep, not yet; without having even had the chance to apologise for all the wrongs I'd done him. My heart ached as I remembered leaving him, insisting I would be right back for him; almost making it. I was vaguely aware of a whine in my throat, remembering the lonely months I was trapped as a wolf, travelling alone in both body and mind; desperately wishing I could change the past and take back my stubborn insistence that I do things my way. My heart stung at the fresh pain which swept through me, the wound of the separation still raw. How I had longed to have been held, to have laid with him and loved him through the nights and days we would have shared.

"Shhh…" Mike's voice was soft, soothing as one of the cold iron bars at my back began to move. "'S alright…" he whispered reassuringly. "'S alright… I got ya now, ya safe. I'm here."

But how could I explain to him? How could I make him understand the gaping hole in my chest, which had festered all the time we were apart? I'd left my heart with him when I left that day, but Taylor was right. I'd been too chickenshit to ever reclaim it, fearing rejection. How now, then; could I show him just _how_ much he still meant to me, after hiding from him for so long?

"Fuckin' hell, ya's bad as the Kid." Mike sighed, as I fidgeted and squirmed, rolling in the softness beneath me as I tried to press as much of myself to that blessed cool wall. "Will ya just bloody go to sleep, already?!"

I whined at the exasperation in his tone, my hand flapping wildly as I searched for him, needing him to understand. I heard him sigh, and one of the cool iron bars moved from my back, his hand clasping mine gently.

Understanding was suddenly crisp and clear in my mind. I was laying in a bed; and Mike was holding me, helping to lower my temperature so I wouldn't… wait, _could_ I even die of hyperthermia?

"Oh, for fuck sake… what the hell'd I do to deserve this kinda dumbassery?" Mike grumbled. "In all my damn years, I ain't never found a better punishment for bein' a vampire'n _you_." He snorted.

If I had the energy, or if I could actually open them, I would have rolled my eyes. Instead, I chose to do something very stupid, and tugged Mike's hand to my throat.

"What'sa matter now?" Mike sighed. "Ya shirt comin' off'd help with ya temperature a 'lil, but it ain't exactly gonna make a whole heap of…" Mike's voice trailed off as he quickly undid my shirt buttons and tossed it away.

I knew he had seen it.

Did he hate me for wearing it? Was he going to leave me here alone? I tried to lock myself around him, to keep him with me; as long as I was physically able to.

"Ya really know how to push a fella, Pup…" Mike's sigh sent a static jolt through me, my eyes snapping open from the force of it. He was gazing down at me with such a raw expression, pain and affection combined as his fingers brushed the collar I wore. "How..?"

I licked my lips quickly. "Taylor." I rasped, as Mike snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Should've figured." He huffed, before looking back at me. His eyes were a tempest of emotions, a raging storm in which I could only barely keep myself afloat. "Ya thought ya'd just slip this on an' pick up where ya left off? Ya ain't barely been able to stand bein' 'round me… I figured ya _time away'd_ changed how ya felt 'bout-"

His words were harsh but truthful, filled with a raw pain and bitterness which I hated to hear in his voice. I pressed my finger to his lips, silencing the rest of his questions as I stared up at him brokenly.

"No." I said, drawing a deep breath. "I thought that by wearing this, I'd show you that I was done running. That I wouldn't be a coward anymore… that I wouldn't stop doing everything I could, to show you how much you mean to me. How much I regret putting you, no, _us,_ through that… and how I would never ever stop trying to make it up to you, for the rest of our lives; however long they turn out to be." I said quietly, my eyes never leaving his. I hoped he could see the conviction and determination I felt.

"Mike I made such a huge mistake that day, I never should've gone to see my dad; you were right… I was being a stubborn ass and I am so, so sorry for whatever I put you through." I said, ignoring the way my voice broke in several places. "Please… please tell me it's not too late, that you can forgive me one day? I mean, I understand if you can't… I understand if I hurt you too much and you can't-" I paused to wince and swallow the huge lump obstructing my throat. "You can't love me... anymore." My voice was barely a whisper, my eyes slamming closed at the thought, not wanting to see him turn guilty should he agree and confirm my suspicion. "But I love you, still… always… and, if you let me I'll, god, I'll spend forever just _trying_ to-"

My voice stopped its pitiful babbling abruptly, and it took me a moment to realise it wasn't because it had broken under the strain on my words; but because Mike's cool lips were covering my own firmly. I shivered, whimpering at the bittersweet contact.

So this was it? The last kiss, to say goodbye? 

Mike's lips were gentle as he kissed me, almost chase; but for the brief flick of his tongue against my lips, before he retreated.

I didn't dare open my eyes, desperately trying to recall every sensation, every touch and burn them into my memory. I gasped and flinched at the cool, soft touch which next met my cheek; my eyes finally fluttering open as I looked down to realise Mike was wiping tears from my face.

Did I dare to hope?

Mike said nothing as he brushed the damp stains from my cheeks, his soft eyes intent as they followed every movement of his gentle fingers. Finally there were no more tears left to clean away, and Mike's eyes watched as he fit his palm to my cheek, before slowly lifting his gaze to meet mine. "Vampires love forever." He said gently, as I felt my lower lip tremble. "We find a mate who completes us… we can't never go back. Ya a part of me, now. I ain't gonna let ya go a second time." He explained quietly.

My heart felt suddenly like it was a thousand times too large for my chest, like it was trying to explode right out of my and into Mike. I heard a brief, broken whimper of relief, joy and disbelief escape my throat; before I squirmed forward in Mike's arms to press my lips back to his.

There was an urgency in my kiss, despite the uncertain, soft and gentle quality of it. A desperation in the way my fingers curled like claws into the front of his shirt.

Mike's kiss in return was reassuring, his hands wandering over me restlessly, as if he wasn't quite able to decide where he wanted to touch me first; like he were an addict, deprived of his favourite drug for too long.

My lips parted when the press of his tongue turned demanding, my back arching as I curled my leg over his hip and tried to pull him closer. His tongue was merciless as he explored my mouth as if for the first time, demanding as he flicked the appendage against my own.

His stubble tickled my skin, both an irritant and a balm as I tried to press myself ever closer to him.

Despite his cold skin, I felt my temperature rising once more, a burning ember lighting in my belly as I pawed roughly at his shirt and tore three buttons in my determination to throw it away.

"In a hurry there, Pup?" Mike chuckled, his lips dropping to my throat as he half rolled over me.

"Yes." I answered honestly, breathless as I moved on to his jeans. "I need you." I murmured, my lips skimming whatever part of him I could reach. 

"Hmm… ya _are_ pretty flustered," Mike mused, as I scowled darkly over his shoulder. He was having _way_ too much fun with taking his time, barely ghosting his fingers over my bare stomach. "Guess I oughta see 'bout coolin' ya off, huh?" He hummed, his kiss lingering against my throat. I wondered if he had the urge to bite me again, my heart jumping eagerly at the thought; though I wasn't sure why. Did I really want him to bite me that bad? Even without knowing if it might kill me or not? By the way my dick leapt at the idea, I had a feeling I knew the answer.

"Ya heart's goin' crazy…" Mike whispered, his cool body soothing my burning skin. "What's goin' on in that pretty 'lil head of yours?"

I whined as I shoved his jeans open. "You're talking way too much." I grumbled, biting his shoulder playfully. It was kind of the equivalent of biting granite. "Mike please, I need to feel you; I need you to make love to me, now, _please_ -"

Mike hissed at my shameful pleading, pulling back from my throat to eye me warily. "I dunno… considerin' the Kids uh, _situation_ ; maybe that ain't such a smart-"

"I haven't eaten, drank or even _touched_ anything on this island, we've been here what, all of an hour?" I interrupted, my hand gliding from his hip to his hard cock and squeezing gently. "I don't think I magically grew a… a _butt womb,_ the second we landed." I snorted quietly, snickering as Mike laughed and kissed me.

"I'm gonna tell him ya called it that." He grinned smugly, his hands roving over my trousers and flicking them open with ease.

"Don't you dare!" I laughed, giddy as his hands caressed me while removing my remaining clothes. 

"I dunno, think he has a right to know…" Mike teased, though his breath quickened, his amusement fading in light of his arousal.

"Taylor doesn't need to know something so trivial." I muttered, my lips straining to reach every inch of his cool skin which I could reach. "Can we shelve this conversation for later, please?"

Mike chuckled darkly as his hand curved along my bare ass, down to my thigh, hitching my leg high around his hip as he rolled fully over me. "Guess 's doable." He snickered, before his lips found mine and our talking faded to only breathy moans and gasps for breath between fervent kisses.

" _Mmm_ !" I whimpered with need, as Mike's dick rocked against my hard shaft; fire and ice once more, but quickly moulding each other into something in between. "Oh god, please Mike, _please_ -" I choked, my hands curled into desperate claws over his shoulders.

I gripped both thighs tight against his sides, urging him ever closer to me, pleading with everything that I was for him to make me his once more.

"Fuck-" Mike cursed, gripping the back of my thigh tight enough to bruise the skin, although I knew any bruise would fade by morning. "Ya can't even wait for me to-"

"No," I complained, digging my heels into the hard flesh above his ass. "No more waiting. _Now_." I ordered.

"Shit… ya so fuckin' hot when ya get all demandin'." Mike muttered, his lips moving feverishly across my neck and shoulders.

His hands moved then, one moment still gripping the back of my thigh, the next at my ass; his fingers probing carefully and smearing me with a familiar cool gel, though I had no idea where he'd produced it from. Not that I actually cared either way.

" _Miiiike_..!" I whined, arching up from the bed with a moan of both frustration and exhiliration. 

"Jesus, ya impatient 'lil-" Mike grumbled, groaning when I reached down between us and wrapped my hand around his cock, pumping him steadily as I threw my head back into the pillows.

" _Mike!_ " I barked sharply, growling when he had the goddamn gaul to laugh. When his fingers continued to stretch me carefully, I all out snarled, shifting both hands to Mike's chest and shoving him roughly as I threw myself to the side. 

" _Whoa_ -!" Mike gasped, his fingers leaving me as he instead gripped my ass to steady me. He stared up at me as I pinned him beneath me, my thighs gripping his hips tightly as I smirked down at him. "Well, hell, Pup… anyone'd think ya were-"

"Shut _up_." I interrupted, leaning down to crash my lips to his.

My urgency was undeniable as I nipped at his hard lip, devouring his surprised gasp and swallowing down his moans as I rocked and rolled my ass over his cock.

Mike's fingers slid back into my ass, moving with faster, rougher motions in their haste. I allowed it, for a moment; relishing the burn as I slowly stretched to accommodate him.

I moaned as I reached down between us, stroking his cock with the same steady precision which I had before. "I need you, Mike." I mumbled against his lips, a final plea.

Mike's chest rumbled beneath me, his fingers retreating as he brushed my hand aside and took hold of himself. "Fuck… ya beautiful, Pup." He breathed, as he held his shaft beneath my ass and allowed me to slowly lower myself over him.

" _Oh_ -" I gasped, sitting back as I shivered with pleasure. "Oh, Mike…" I felt my throat constrict, imagining the months of this which I had missed out on. My eyes stung at the sense of completion, of _rightness_ which overwhelmed my body. This was it. My place in the world; right here, with Mike.

"Fuck…" Mike hissed, rolling his hips up from the bed slowly, drawing a gasp from my throat and sending a pleasant shudder down my spine. "Holy hell, I missed this." He muttered, his eyes on his dick as I teasingly clenched my ass around him, before finally sinking over his final inch.

"Oh?" I hummed breathlessly. "Is this all you missed about me?" I asked, feeling strangely brave about the topic, now I had what I wanted; him, inside me.

"Hell nah," Mike groaned, his brow furrowed as I lifted myself slowly over his shaft. "But 's sure's hell, _damn_ high on list." He added hoarsely.

"Hmm…" I mused, rolling my head back and staring at the ceiling as I sank down on his shaft quickly; drawing a curse from Mike and a deep-throated groan from myself. "What else is on your list?" 

Mike snorted, snapping his hips upward and tearing a keening cry from my throat. "I'll tell ya later." He snickered, as my body began to move over his more urgently.

I rolled my hips, gasping as I looked down, the ember in my belly flaring to a full blown fire. I bit my lip as Mike's dick brushed against the nerves which made me tremble, which lit my body with shocks like lightning. 

I watched his face as my breath caught, studying the fierce intent in his eyes as he seemed to map every inch of my body into his memory. I watched as he stared at my ass, greedily sucking his cock deeper into me with every increasingly rapid movement we made together.

I whimpered breathlessly, my hands sliding along his abs and chest, before curling over his shoulders. I leaned toward him slowly, arching as I fit one palm to his cheek and hovered over him, waiting until his pleasure soaked eyes lifted to meet my gaze.

"I love you." I whispered, a soft sigh escaping me as his hands gripped my hips tightly, his own hips snapping upward forcefully. I bit my lip as his movements grew more powerful, meeting his every thrust eagerly; our bodies entwined and moving in rhythmic harmony.

My lips found his, oddly sweet in comparison to the fierce, frenzied way with which our bodies now moved together. Between the promise of my words and that of my kiss, Mike seemed to all but melt beneath me. All his usually hard planes seemed suddenly softer, his hand gentle as it slid from my hip to my dick and stroked me with movements which were sensual and sweet, despite the desperation I could tell we both felt.

Mike's tongue twisted against my own, and I swallowed his deep-throated sounds of pleasure just as quickly as he swallowed my needy whimpers and moans.

As the fire in my belly flared to engulf my whole body, I gave myself over to his ministrations entirely, crying out as my body was overwhelmed by bliss.

My dick pulsed, covering both his hand and stomach with my essence as my ass throbbed around him. I heard his long, low growl; and then felt his cock begin to pulse within my ass, this time unhindered by the stupid condom which he'd insisted on wearing the first time we'd made love.

"Well, shit…" Mike cursed, gasping for breath between light kisses to my cheek and throat. "Ya amazin', ya know that?"

"I don't think it's _all_ me," I countered, my words slurring as my orgasmic haze bled into exhaustion. "You did a little too…"

Mike snorted, his hand rising to cup my face. I twisted to kiss his palm, humming in contentment as I snuggled against him. "Thanks for the credit." He huffed, though I could feel him smiling when he kissed my brow. "Will ya finally go to bloody sleep now?" He asked. 

I made a vague sound of agreement in reply, sighing at the sense of completion I felt after so long. "Stay?" I mumbled, whining when I felt his body leave mine.

"Ain't sure ya quite got the idea of this 'searchin' for answers' business…" Mike chuckled as he wrapped his arms around me and rolled us onto our sides. "How the hell am I s'posed to figure out how the Kid got himself knocked up, if I stay here with ya?"

I hummed tiredly and snuggled into his chest, locking my arms and legs around him so he couldn't escape while I slept. "I'll make it worth your while when I wake up… round two, before I have to eat and touch stuff here." I mumbled.

Mike sighed. "Ya drive a hard bargain, Pup." He said, though his tone was too amused for me to be worried he was actually anything but thrilled by my offer. "Guess I better stay'n keep ya cool, an' we can start searchin' come mornin'."

I smiled as he nuzzled my hair line. "Together." I mumbled, burying my face in the side of his throat as I finally let myself relax into my exhaustion.

Mike chuckled quietly, his lips brushing over my flustered skin soothingly as he whispered his reply into my ear. "Forever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all - just a little heads up for you - a friend of mine (Lost_Elf) has recently joined the ES fandom! They've gifted me 2 works so far and I adore them both - please go show some love and support like the glorious people I know you are? <3
> 
> Love you all <3


	15. Seeking Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it
> 
> This is where I got to back in Feb- before I fell was too ill to keep going...  
> a lot has happened since then. I'm sorry this has taken so long to get out  
> I'm sorry I haven't been around much
> 
> Still love you all  
> Still love ES
> 
> I'll always be here  
> Just, trying not to sink rn
> 
> x Our love to you all x

**Seeking Answers**

  
  


I woke up with my heart racing and my chest rumbling. Every confession, promise and kiss; every intimate exchange we'd shared together had replayed over and over in my dreams. I basked in every ache of my body, every relaxed muscle tingling with satisfaction.

"If I'd known ya purred rather'n barked, I would've called ya Kitten, ya know."

And just like that, my content and happy aura was swept away by exasperation. "You're such an ass, sometimes." I grumbled tiredly, rubbing my eyes as I reluctantly woke myself properly. "Remind me why I love you so damn much?"

Mike chuckled as he nuzzled my cheek and kissed my shoulder lightly. "'S the beard…" he offered, as I snorted with reluctant amusement. I hummed and revelled in his affection, as his lips drifted slowly from my shoulder and up my throat, across my cheek until he found my lips. "Mornin', Pup." He murmured, smirking as I finally opened my eyes and my breath consequently caught in my throat at the sight of him there before me.

"Morning…" I mumbled back shyly, allowing a few chaste kisses, before ducking my head shyly. Morning breath was a thing for those of us who still had beating hearts and weren't perfect.

"What'sa matter?" Mike asked, though from the amusement in his tone I figured he had a pretty good idea already.

"Nothing." I muttered petulantly, kissing his chest lightly as I ran my hands lower over his body. "I was just thinking that I felt a little hungry..." I mused, wiggling out of his hold as I slowly kissed along the path my hands had taken down his stomach. 

"Oh, so what ya sayin' is ya wanna bit of 'lil Mikey to sate ya hunger, huh?" Mike teased, though the rasp in his voice made it clear he was more than open to the idea.

"First off, don't name your dick," I muttered, kissing his hip as I peeked up at him from beneath my lashes. "Second, shut up." I added as I placed a lingering kiss to the shaft of Mike's cold, hard shaft; grinning when he hissed and then held his breath. "And thirdly-"

I smirked at the thick silence which encompassed us, thrilled by this rush of power I currently held over Mike. Hell, the man had _actually_ shut up, so I guessed I was doing something right. I hummed quietly as I flicked my tongue across the head of his cock, licking my lips as I flashed a look up at him, before kissing the shaft and curling my tongue around his girth.

“Fuck-” Mike’s quiet curse was enough fuel for me to brave the unknown and risk embarrassment. I had no clue how to give head, but here I was; about to give it my best shot. All for him.

My belly lit with the fiery ember of desire once more, as I parted my lips and wrapped them around the head of Mike’s cock. I hummed, uncertain but eager nonetheless. My fingers teased his hips, drawing nonsensical patterns as I tried to widen my mouth to accommodate him. “ _Mmmm…_ ” the soft whimper was beyond my control as I slowly teased Mike’s shaft with my lips, dragging them back and forth slowly and coating the hard flesh with saliva.

“Fuckin’ _nug humpers_ ; ya the fuckin’ devil, Pup.” Mike groaned, his fingers curling into my hair and gripping me tightly, tugging slightly, before urging me closer; his hips rocking tentatively as his urge to thrust himself deeper into me grew stronger. “Godammit, I’m gonna fuck ya for a year solid, soon‘s we’re back home.” He muttered, releasing a choked moan when I huffed an amused sound around his dick.

My amusement quickly dissolved however, melting into a keen urgency to shower Mike in the utmost affection and draw him to a high like he’d never known before. I wanted to make him lose his ever careful control, to make him tremble from the force of the pleasure which I overwhelmed him with. 

Being as this was my first time sucking cock however, I was more than aware of the unlikelihood of this; and simply resigned myself to do my best to blow his mind.

I dragged my teeth carefully over his shaft, earning a string of curses which I took to be a sign that I was doing something very, very right. As I flicked my tongue across the head of Mike’s dick, he moaned and rolled his hips toward me, his hand splaying across the back of my neck to urge me closer to him.

I complied, burying my nose in the dense nest of black curls at the base of his cock and inhaling deeply as I tried not to gag around him. I was going for sexy, not dumbass little noob who bit off more than he could chew. I swallowed, whining needily when Mike hissed and dragged his nails across the back of my neck.

Abruptly, my needs changed.

I’d wanted to show Mike that his pleasure meant more than mine, that I wanted to make him feel good and perhaps make up some small amount of the pain I’d put him through while we were separated. 

Now however, the glowing ember in my belly was a roaring furnace, my heart racing as I rocked my hips wantanly and whined at the lack of friction which I could find. My ass throbbed, and I knew I needed more than just to give Mike pleasure; I needed him, just as much as I had done the night before. I pulled my lips free of his cock with a light gasp, my eyes rising to peer up at him pleadingly. “Mike-” I barely managed to rasp, before he’d pulled me up into his arms and crashed his lips to mine. 

His hands were everywhere. First in my hair, then gripping my shoulder, caressing my side, slapping my ass; before finally curling behind my thigh and squeezing tightly as he pulled me close to him. “ _Ah-_!” I cried against his lips, gripping his shoulders as my brow furrowed with pleasure, overwhelmed by the fierce need which swept through me.

I gasped when Mike moved swiftly, rolling up from beside me to kneel as he rolled me onto my stomach, leaning over me to kiss the back of my neck. “Try’n behave yaself, Pup…” he murmured breathlessly, before beginning to trail kisses over my shoulders and down my back, his hands gripping my hips and raising my ass into the air.

I blushed, burying my face in the pillows as he wasted no time; promptly thrusting his tongue into my ass with a hunger and urgency which I felt only barely matched my own. " _Nyaah!"_ I moaned, writhing beneath his touch as fire licked up my spine. 

This fire was different from that of my transformations though; this fire didn't sear or lead to that brief second of excruciating pain. This fire was all warmth and pleasure, a tickle of deep rooted ecstasy which spread all the way to my fingertips and toes. " _Mike_ !" I gasped pleadingly, desperately yearning for him to entwine our bodies fully once again. "Mike, _please-_ "

"Godammit…" Mike hissed as his tongue retracted from me. I whined at the loss of stimulation; but my chest quickly began to rumble with a contented purr once more, when he smeared the head of his cock over my entrance. "Ya impatient 'lil brat, I'm gonna-"

" _Mike!"_ I cried, gasping with relief when Mike thrust into me with one easy, fluid motion. "Oh god, yes..!" I muttered, rocking my hips back against him as he hissed and gripped my waist with such a tight hold that I knew I would bruise… for a few hours.

"Well, death by sex ain't a bad way to go, I s'pose." Mike mumbled behind me, groaning as he rocked his hips and slid his cock in and out of my ass at a torturously slow pace. I whined, reaching behind me to try and pull him closer, but Mike captured my wrist in his hand. "Heh, think ya in need of a 'lil trainin' there, Pup…" he chuckled darkly, snatching up my other wrist and drawing them slowly behind my back. He tugged carefully, never ceasing the languid roll of his hips as he slowly pulled my torso from the bed.

"Mike-" I complained, trying and failing to rock myself back on his cock. He snickered lowly, his lips finding my ear as I was forced to sit straight before him.

"Ya like that, Pup?" He breathed, as he thrust deep into me, moaning quietly as his dick brushed over my prostate and drew another whine from me. "Ya like it when I'm in ya? Fillin' ya up, makin' ya howl..?"

He was enjoying himself far too much, and was far too in control of himself for my liking; but I didn't want him to stop, so I threw my head back onto his shoulder and nodded eagerly. "Yes!" I whimpered, my eyelashes fluttering against my cheek when he rewarded me with another deep thrust into me.

"Ya like how it feels? Havin' me inside ya horny 'lil ass?"

"Yes, yes!" I whined, trying to turn my head and find his lips with my own. My breath caught in my throat, his tongue trailing along my throat; licking beads of sweat from my skin. "Please, Mike, please… no more teasing," I pleaded. "Love me… make me yours and never let me go again. Please, just… just _love_ me-"

Mike grunted, thrusting deep into me and plastering himself to my back as he pressed his lips to my ear. "Already do…" he breathed. 

My heart stopped as he turned my head and captured my lips in a deep kiss, his tongue caressing mine as his hands released my wrists and gripped my hips; rolling my body to match his movements as he began to thrust in short, sharp bursts.

"Oh-!" I gasped, my eyes closing as pleasure ripped through me. "Oh god!" I panted as Mike's habd shoved at my shoulder, pushing me back down to the bed.

"Ya ain't never leavin' me 'gain, right Pup?" Mike demanded, his balls slapping against my flustered skin as I tangled my fists i to the sheets and cried at the blissful waves which ran through me.

"No, never!" I barely managed to mumble, gasping at the overwhelming fire which blazed in my belly; pleasure tearing through me like crashing waves.

"An' ya gonna do's I damn well say, rather'n be a stubborn 'lil brat?" 

"Yes!" I whimpered, gasping and pressing my forehead to the pillows, a loud moan ripping from my throat as the rumble in my chest continued. "God, yes!"

Mike groaned deep in his throat, ceasing his babbling for a moment as he growled and thrust into me harder than he ever had before. "An' ya gonna wear my damn collar, show everyone who ya damn well belong to?" He grumbled. "Make sure nobody tries to mess with ya 'gain? Huh?" Mike growled loudly, his words pausing as we both made sounds of pleasure too loud for even _him_ to talk over. "Ya gonna marry me, take my name an' make yaself mine?" He demanded in a sudden, rapid gush of words.

"Yes!" I cried without thinking, not caring so long as he didn't stop.

Unfortunately, that's almost exactly what he did, leaning over me as he slowed practically to a standstill; thrusting slow but deep into me and barely brushing my prostate. "What'd ya say?"

"I said yes, fucking yes! Don't stop!" I cried, rocking my hips back against him urgently.

"... ya mean it?" He demanded, an undeniable excited hitch in his breath.

"Why the fuck would I lie right now?" I snarled back, half turning my head to peer at him with one frustrated eye. " _I said fucking yes, now don't fucking stop!_ " I hissed, moaning loudly when Mike thrust deep into me and smacked directly into my prostate, my cock jumping at the thrill of pleasure which rippled up my spine. "Oh..!"

"Fuck-" Mike cursed, his lips attacking my shoulder and throat urgently, smothering my burning skin with affection.

"Mike… please-" I whined, grinding my ass against his groin. " _Please_ ," I pleaded.

"What, Pup?" Mike breathed against my skin, as he lathered me in his love. "Anythin', anythin'…"

"Mike-" I gasped as Mike slowly began to move again, rocking against me with building urgency, his pace growing steadily as his lips shuffled across every inch of my neck he could reach. The words lodged in my throat for an immeasurable moment, my heart racing as I tried and failed to hold them back. "... bite me." I finally whispered breathlessly.

Mike choked on a throaty moan, his lips abruptly leaving my skin as he straightened and thrust into me with deep, powerful movements. "Fuck me, ya 'lil demon…" he grunted, his breath exploding from him as his cock began to pulse in my ass.

" _Noooo…_ not yet-" I whined, not ready for our intimacy to be over. But then Mike's cool hand was stroking my scorching dick; and the world collapsed into a white blaze around me. " _Ah, Mike!_ "

I shuddered and panted from the force with which my orgasm hit me, much like a freight truck slamming into me, I expect. I gasped and choked as Mike stroked me steadily, milking my cock until I finally sagged in his arms.

Mike chuckled quietly, gathering me into his arms and moving me over to a clean corner of the bed. "Ya really know how to test my limits, Pup." He sighed, kissing my throat longingly as he gently extracted himself from me.

I whined with displeasure at the emptiness I felt without him inside me. "Well, you really know how to kill a guy with romance." I shot back, rolling my eyes as I huffed and huddled into his arms. "Proposing in the middle of sex? God, the pack will _crucify_ me when they see that." I grumbled, as Mike snickered quietly. 

"D'ya rather I ask ya 'gain when we're back? All public, with a big show of-"

"No!" I yelped, rolling over quickly to swat Mike's shoulder as he laughed.

"See? 'S the height of romance, that were. Private... an' classy like." Mike snickered, folding his arms around me and holding me close as we both came down from the high we'd found together.

I traced my finger in nonsensical patterns on his chest, my eyes searching his face as he toyed with a lock of my hair and smiled smugly. "You… you really meant it?" I asked, biting my lip uncertainly when his eyes snapped to mine. "You really want me to… to..?"

Mike snorted. "I know I hearda folk screamin' random shit durin' sex, but I think this'd be a stretch for 'in the heat of the moment' dirty talk." He snickered, raising a brow as his warm eyes flickered with sudden doubt. "Why? Ya changin' ya answe-"

"No!" I immediately soothed, kissing his shoulder softly, hiding my face as it flooded with blazing hot heat and my heart began to race. "I just… wanted to make sure…" I mumbled, feeling the grin grow on my lips and unable to fight it off at all; not that I wanted to.

Mike sighed as he curled his arms tighter around me. "Red's gonna have a damn field day." He grumbled, burying his nose in my hair as I shuffled my lips across his chest, right where his still heart lay. "Plannin' two weddin's inside a year, 'stead of a century." He snorted fondly, as my grin grew.

"Hmm…" I hummed, flicking my tongue across Mike's left nipple and waggling my brows at his eager hiss. "She'll be thrilled if I tell her to go out there and make it an even bigger show than Taylor's…" I murmured leadingly, though from Mike's laugh, I knew he'd seen through my bluff.

"Ya don't give a shit 'bout none of that stuff." He snickered. "Don't try foolin' me otherwise."

"Maybe I just want to see you make a grand gesture for me…" I teased.

"I got ya grand gesture, right here." Mike snorted darkly, rolling over me and kissing me deeply. I giggled for a brief second, before I melted into his kiss completely. Mike was my everything, I could feel it in every part of my being. I didn’t understand why I’d been born into the ranks of those who had been sworn to be his enemy, but I knew that I was meant to be here; to be his.

We were two halves, perfectly molding together to make a whole. My heart swelled, the flame in my belly flaring once more. I whined as I hugged him closer, curling my leg around his hip and rocking myself against him.

“Hmm… much’s I’d love to stay right here an’ have ya as many ways as I can think of,” Mike murmured against my lips, his kisses slowly softening to something sweeter and less desperate. “We ain’t exactly doin’ a awful lotta answer huntin’ from lyin’ ‘round in bed… I mean, we could’ve just stayed home for that.” He snorted, pressing a final kiss to my forehead, before reluctantly rolling away from me again.

I pouted, but sighed with resignation. “You’re right…” I admitted, pretending not to notice the petulance in my tone. I grumbled to myself as I glanced around the room, noticing my surroundings for the first time since Mike had brought me here. “Um, I have questions…” I said, frowning as I leaned up on my elbows and lifted a brow at Mike’s amused grin. “The first, is where the hell are we?” 

“‘S just a ‘lil somethin’ I built when I bought the island… never really came over or explored that much, bein’ honest.” He said dismissively, grinning as his fingers drifted distractingly over my thigh. 

“You bought an island… and didn’t even come and explore it?” I asked, blinking as I tried to understand the apparently complicated workings of my strange fiance. I felt a thrill rush up my spine at the realisation that I had a fiance, and I bit my lip to keep from squealing with glee. “This isn’t helping with my whole ‘having questions’ thing…”

Mike snickered, flashing me a lopsided grin as he leaned forward to kiss my hip. I squirmed, knowing I shouldn’t be quite so eager for his touch to linger, considering we had things to do. “I only really bought it ‘cause the other guy makin’ a offer was an asshole.” Mike finally admitted, his eyes sparkling with mischief, as I barked a rough laugh at his confession. “Was always pissin’ me off in med school, so when I found out he was puttin’ a bid in on this place I bought it out from under him. Perks of havin’ a century's worth of savin’s in ya pocket.” He snickered.

“And you were never curious about exploring this place?” I asked, running my fingers through Mike’s short curls, as he laid his head in my lap and sighed contently. “I mean, this place is _huge…_ ”

“Eh,” Mike shrugged. “Size ain’t everythin’, Pup.” He said nonchalantly, laughing when I swatted his shoulder and rolled my eyes at him. “Honestly, I ain’t never had the urge to take holiday’s so, never really needed it. ‘S why I gave it to Grandpa an’ the Kid…” He said, shrugging lopsidedly.

“Hmm,” I mused, thinking over his reasoning. “I guess that makes sense in a very… you way.” I finally sighed. “But, it means we have the whole island to look over… so we should probably get on to that.” I added, whining when Mike rolled his eyes and sat up beside me. “Which brings me to my second question, by the way.” 

“Oh, an’ what’s that, exactly?” Mike asked, raising a brow as he leaned close and kissed my cheek softly.

I sighed, content beneath his touch as I hadn’t been in months. “Did you bring my bag with my change of clothes?” I finally asked, as Mike snorted and laughed quietly.

“Yeah,” he chuckled, moving away from me, much to my disgust. “‘S over there.” He said, tipping his chin toward the nearby dresser.

I eyed the dresser dispassionately, deflating at the thought of actually getting up and getting dressed, before turning to press a quick kiss to Mike’s tickly cheek. I immediately rolled off the bed, out of his grasp; I knew myself well enough to know that if he touched me again it would mean yet more hours spent in bed rather than doing what we actually came here for.

I hummed as I grabbed my bag and began throwing on my clean clothes, not bothering with my trainers as it was just the two of us. I was so used to being barefoot at this point, shoes just felt weird whenever I tried to wear them.

I paused and felt the slow grin build on my lips, as two cold arms circled my waist from behind. “This does not help me get dressed, nor does it help us get out there and start searching…” I said playfully, though I found myself folding my hands over Mike’s rather than swatting them away.

“Naw, but it feels good.” He countered, as I laughed quietly. 

“Let’s get this searching business on the road; then we can do lots more of _this_ once we’re back home.” I said, reluctantly unwrapping his hands from my stomach. I turned before he could fully release me, my lips finding his with a natural ease which made me sigh with contentment.

“That mean ya gonna be comin’ in to sleep, or am I gonna have to come an’ find ya furry butt outside?” Mike asked, smirking when I flushed guiltily. “Not that I mind an’ all, I mean, I’m up for a ‘lil bit of experimentin’ as much’s the next guy-”

“Oh my god, please stop talking..!” I gasped, blazing with heat as I realised what he was alluding to. I slammed my lips to his, forcing him to stop talking as he chuckled smugly. “Nope, not ever happening, buster.” I said as I released him, shaking my head to get the awful image out of my head.

“Hey, ya never know ‘til ya try-”

“Yes, yes I do know. I know it will never happen.” I said firmly, wrinkling my nose as Mike laughed. “Now come on... the woods are lovely, dark and deep; but we have promises to keep, and miles to go before.. _. I_ sleep.” I said.

Mike blinked at me for a moment, before snorting and rolling his eyes. “An’ here I always thought Robert Frost was just a pumped up ‘lil-”

“Mike,” I sighed, kissing him softly. “Shut up, and lets get going.” I said, gesturing for the door. “The sooner we figure out what happened to Taylor, the sooner we can go home.”

“Mmm…” Mike hummed thoughtfully, raising a brow when my stomach growled loudly. “Guessin’ we oughta feed ya before we head out?”

I shook my head. “There’s bound to be some sort of wildlife on this island, I’ll phase and catch something along the way.” I insisted. “It’s fine.” I promised, despite the fact that I really _was_ starving.

Mike rolled his eyes. “Stop bein’ stubborn, there’s probably a tonne of packet shit leftover from when Taylor was here…” he said, as I purposefully made my way out of the bedroom, looking around curiously. I hadn’t exactly seen much of this island retreat when we’d arrived. “C’mon, ‘s more likely that ‘s somethin’ native to the island that uh, made him go all unique.” 

I snorted, that was a pretty solid way of describing my best friend; even before he went and got himself knocked up. “Alright, alright…” I sighed, though only because my stomach chose that moment to begin rumbling once again. “We’ll check out the kitchen first and see if there’s any protein bars or something… I know he’s a total Pop-Tart fiend, so there’s probably some of those, if nothing else.” I conceded, following Mike as he led me through to the kitchen with obvious relief.

I sniffed my way to the cupboard which still hoarded a small stores worth of Pop-Tarts and other such snacks, tossing a bunch of boxes into my bag as Mike watched with a raised brow. “It saves having to keep coming back here; we can explore faster that way.” I explained. Mike nodded but didn’t say anything in reply, merely watching as I packed as much food as I could into my bag, now that it was emptied of clothing. “Okay, c’mon; we might as well get started.” I finally sighed, grabbing a Pop-Tart and tearing open the packet, biting into it without having toasted it.

Mike snorted and rolled his eyes, but led the way out of the small cabin without protest. “‘Kay, well… I guess we might as well start by coverin’ this side of the island, seein’ as we’re already here.” He suggested, running his hand over the short hairs which covered his jaw. I tried to be discreet as I stared, but from the way my Pop-Tart dripped over my chin, I doubted I was very successful at any kind of subtlety. “How ‘bout we follow the shore, then shift over a mile and double back to the opposite side?” He queried, looking over at me when I didn’t immediately answer.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, definitely.” I coughed awkwardly, nodding as if I’d heard him and agreed. “Lead on, Captain.” I said, waving him ahead of me as a grin spread across his face.

“Ya alright there, Pup?” He asked, far too smug as my cheeks burned beneath his knowing gaze. “Ya seem a ‘lil distracted…”

“Nope.” I countered quickly. “Zero distractions here… let’s uh, let’s get going. We’ll lose the light.” I coughed awkwardly, stuffing the Pop-Tart into my mouth so I wouldn’t keep talking shit and stalking past him, ignoring his soft snicker of amusement.

Outside, I couldn’t help but catch my breath. The view of the rising sun, glittering upon the ocean was mesmerizing. “Huh,” Mike mused, eyeing me thoughtfully as I took a deep breath and looked around curiously. “Startin’ to think I was a ‘lil hasty, givin’ this place away…”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, if you’d act even half like a normal person; you wouldn’t be giving islands away as gifts in the first place.” I snorted, glancing at him slyly as I grinned. “But then, you wouldn’t be the man I love, so; guess we’ll just have to live with that now, huh?”

Mike chuckled warmly. “Aye.” He said, leaning over to kiss my cheek. “Guess so.”

I tried to ignore the way my cheeks warmed beneath his touch, gentle and brief as it was; I really had no reason for my heart to start pounding like a damn jack hammer. Instead of saying anything further I cleared my throat and tipped my chin at the beach, stalking down to the shore and wiggling my bare toes in the soft, warm sand for a moment. I hummed contently, looking up with a sly grin, before darting away from Mike; running as fast as I could toward the furthest edge of the coast.

“Oi, ya ‘lil cheat!” Mike called after me, laughing even as he chased me.

I laughed back, choosing not to comment as I sped along the sand. Technically this wasn’t helping us find any clues about Taylor’s miraculous ability to conceive this way, but even so I couldn’t bring myself to stop just yet. After all the time we’d been forced to spend apart, both by Sean’s order; and my own cowardice, we needed these small moments to heal. I knew that soon enough we would have to return to the serious business of seeking answers, but for this one last moment, I wanted to laugh with him.

All too soon though, we reached the far coast and were forced to a halt. The journey would have taken a human more than a day, and we’d been running for less than a full hour. “Okay… I’ll head a mile inland; you should head in two miles, and then we’ll meet at the opposite end of the island and confer.” I sighed reluctantly.

“What?” Mike blurted, as I glanced at him with a small smile. “I don’t think splittin’ up’s a grand idea, Pup… we dunno nothin’ ‘bout this place, other’n that the Kid got himself-”

“I know, Mike… but if we go together, neither of us is going to take this seriously.” I said, throwing him a wry grin. “This whole trip is going to wind up being utterly pointless if we don’t separate now and actually look for some hint as to what happened to Taylor…”

“I don’t see how separatin’s got anythin’ to do with findin’ answer-”

“Because if we _don’t_ separate, I’m going to spend the whole time horny and wanting to take our clothes off.” I said quickly, lowering my eyes so I wouldn’t have to see the smug grin I just _knew_ was spreading across his beautiful damn face.

“Heh, failin’ to see how that’s s’posed to be a bad thing…” Mike murmured, his breath tickling my throat as he stepped close to my back and nosed at my jaw.

“Because then we don’t get the answers we came here for, _and_ we wasted our time even coming to look…” I said roughly, stepping forward and turning around to meet his eyes with a pleading gaze. “Please, we’ll try it this way, and if we still find nothing; at least it won’t be because I was too focused on your dick, than potentially saving my best friends life.”

Mike sighed, grumbling as he turned away. “Ya fight dirty, Pup.” He muttered, glancing back at me with a wicked look in his eyes. “Luckily, I gotta bit of a thing for dirty… an’ I mean, ya gotta sleep at night, right? So, ain’t like we can’t _totally_ avoid each other.”

“I might have to sleep, but _you_ don’t.” I reminded him with a small snort, smiling as he curled an arm around my waist and drew me closer. “You could easily keep looking while I sleep and then I’d just come meet you in the morning.”

“I ain’t leavin’ ya on ya own overnight.” Mike frowned, peering down at me intently. “Not ‘til we know there ain’t nothin’ out here that ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

"Jake and Taylor were here on their own for a month…" I reminded him with a sceptical frown. "Jake had to leave Taylor to hunt sometimes and Taylor is the most danger magnetised being I know; I'll be fine, stop beig a worrywart. You'll get wrinkles and finally look your age, Old Man."

 _"Pfft,"_ Mike snorted and rolled his eyes, though I noticed him bristling with offence. "Ya wait 'til tonight, I'll show ya old… insolent Pup." He huffed, turning and stalking off ahead of me.

I grinned, ridiculously amused by the entire exchange. With a laugh, I ran and pounced on his back, making him carry me for the next mile, before kissing his cheek quickly and clambering down, sending him on his way with a small swat to his ass. "See you on the other side, Captain."

Mike laughed as he disappeared, and I rolled my eyes but smiled, as I turned to face the jungle which sprawled before me. "Well, here goes nothing." I sighed, hitching my bag a little higher on my shoulder, before stalking forward to begin my search.

As I set off, I was fuelled by determination and purpose; but after three hours of trekking and finding little but more strange blooms and wildlife, my enthusiasm was waning. _Should've let Mike stay with me_ . I thought briefly, only to shake my head. My search might be boring, but with Mike beside me it would also be pointless; I found it very hard to focus on little besides the other man, whenever he was in even vague proximity to me. _We've only just started… if we make it to a full half of the island without finding anything, then I don't think we will; and we can search the remainder together._ I compromised with myself, nodding as I picked up my pace.

Just because I was being responsible, didn't mean I could take forever by myself, after all. I emerged on a similarly beautiful beach on the opposite side of the island another hour later, disappointed by my lack of discovery, but not in the least bit deterred.

There _had_ to be something here to explain Taylor's sudden ability to reproduce.

Without pausing, I began trotting up the beach, my stomach knotting unfairly at the thought of seeing Mike again, even briefly, before continuing my search.

I frowned as my stomach growled at me, reaching into my bag without thinking and grabbing another of Taylor's Pop-Tarts.

What was it about Mike which had me acting such a lovesick fool? Was it just our renewed promises? Our _engagement_? My stomach did a giddy little flip at the thought, my heart skipping a beat as I imagined life; eternal or otherwise, with Mike by my side.

Whatever the reason, I was frustrated that my every thought seemed to revolve around the man now, irritated by the thought that I was behaving like Taylor did around Jake.

Yet, at the same time… I'd never known such a peaceful, contentment or happiness as I did whenever I was with Mike.

I sighed, confused and exasperated with myself. "Must just be because things are so new… we didn't really get a chance to enjoy each other outside of making love last time." I muttered to myself, biting off a large chunk of raw Pop-Tart distractedly. "It's just… us getting used to _us_." I finally resolved, shaking my head at my own idiocy. Talking to myself was just one step away from talking to inanimate objects, but I was prepared to look past it this once. Extenuating circumstances and all.

After half a mile, he appeared beside me, a smile on his face as he slipped his arm around my waist and drew me to his side while we continued up the beach at a brisk trot. "You know, if you'd just moved on to your next line; this wouldn't take half so long." I said, though I leaned into his side, showing him I didn't _truly_ mind his detour to come meet up with me.

"Yeah but then ya'd be pinin' an' missin' me longer'n necessary…" Mike countered smugly.

"Ass." I muttered, swatting his arm even though I didn't bother to deny his claim.

"'Sides," he continued, ignoring my interruption. "I figured we oughta share findin's, ya know? Make sure we don't miss nothin'..."

It was far too innocent an excuse to be true, and I could feel the smirk on my lips as I glanced at him slyly. "Really? You're saying you actually found something?" I asked.

"Uh, well…" Mike coughed awkwardly. "Naw, but; I thought I best make sure _you_ hadn't found nothin' an' all. Make sure I didn't need to double check…"

His eyes darted to me more than once through his bullshit explanation, and the reason behind his real need to meet up with me hit me like the sudden appearance of a dump truck on my head. "Oh…" I gasped at the force of it, blinking as I stared straight ahead, imagining the scenario through _his_ eyes.

The first time we made love, I disappeared hours later; not to be seen for three months, and even hiding from him another month after that. My heart ached, knowing this fear would stay with him far longer than he was willing to openly admit. I reached for his hand, squeezing his cold, hard skin and smiling into the horizon ahead of us. "You know… I think we should do just one more line; and if we don't find anything, we could set up camp for a few hours… just, time to feed and water the weaker of us." I suggested lightly.

"Ya ain't weak, not at all." Mike replied immediately, though he carefully squeezed my hand back. "But a break might do ya some good… ya look a 'lil tired." He said, glancing down at me with a small grin.

"Gee, I wonder why." I snorted, rolling my eyes as I came to a halt. "Okay, well, this is your next line." I said, gesturing to the jungle beside us. "I'll take the next mile over, then you can be all gentlemanly and come meet me again without us having to double back on ourselves." I said, rolling my eyes at his overly pleased grin. For someone who was four centuries old, Mike was more of a child than I was sometimes.

"Alright, Pup…" Mike said, winking as I sauntered ahead and left him behind. "See ya on the other side." He called after me as I picked up my pace to a lazy lope.

I hummed contently as I ran along the beach for a mile, before turning to face the jungle once more. "Here I go again…" I sighed, reaching into my bag for some more of Taylor's pre-packaged food. I was starving from having barely eaten all day, well; by my standards anyway. I chomped down another raw Pop-Tart, two granola bars and was just about to toss a handful of dried fruit into my mouth, when I felt a strange dizziness sweep through me. "Whoa…" I breathed, blinking dazedly as I braced myself against a sturdy looking tree. "Must be another heat rush…" I mumbled, resting my forehead against my hand on the tree trunk. My brow furrowed faintly; I didn't _feel_ overly hot, especially considering I ran hotter than humans did anyway. If anything, I was sure my skin felt cooler than usual. "Crazy ass islan-" I began, breaking off when I had a strange vision of myself flash through my head.

I was stood, leaning against a tree; but as if I were looking at myself from a distance, a short way to my right.

"Oh, this is a whole other level of hell no…" I complained, shaking my head and dislodging the strange vision of myself. "Urgh, I must still be tired… probably jet-lag setting in too. I guess I better rest up once I meet up with Mike again." I sighed, straightening from the tree with a yawn.

I stretched myself briefly, giving my head a final shake to clear the lingering dizziness, before setting off through the jungle again. I'd barely managed a dozen paces however, when I stumbled, a fresh vision of myself flashing before my eyes; as if I were looking at my own back. Vertigo crashed through me, and I fought he urge to be sick, whirling around and scowling at the foliage behind me. I stared for a whole half a minute, before sighed and running a hand through my hair. "This place is starting to seem less beautiful and more creepy." I grumbled, shaking my head again as I scanned the foliage once more. I was about to turn away, when I caught sight of something in the soil at the base of a particularly thick tree. A branch hung at an unnatural angle, the leaves brushing the floor rather than reaching for the thin snatches of sunlight which filtered through the canopy. 

I moved forward slowly, frowning as I approached; and saw a distinct print in the soil. "That…" I murmured, cocking my head thoughtfully. I traced the outline without touching it, confirming that the print in the soil was most definitely _human._ "It could have been Jake or Taylor…" I tried to reason with myself, but I also knew it was highly unlikely either of them had been out in the jungle barefoot. I was the only one who preferred to go without shoes, and I deliberately ignored the small voice in my head which tried to reason that maybe they'd been conceiving Taylor's miracle butt baby.

I hesitated only another thirty seconds as I deliberated, narrowing my eyes as I tried and failed to explain the print away. Finally I sighed and rose my feet. "Mike!" I called loudly into the jungle, certain he would be listening for me. "I uh, I think you should come see this…" I ran my hand through my hair, worrying my lip as I wondered if he could even hear me. I glanced around me, feeling uneasy in light of my discovery. 

In a burst of sudden genius, I dug Taylor's phone from my pocket and opened his camera, snapping a shot of the footprint, before moving away to lean against a tree. " _Mike_!" I called again, sliding down the tree and sitting on the ground, barely stifling a huge yawn. "I'm… here…" the words had barely slipped passed my lips before my body was relaxing against my will; and within seconds, consciousness left me.

When my eyes next opened, I was laying on the ground, with a familiar shirt folded under my head. "Mike?" I mumbled, blinking slowly as a cold block of ice rubbed my side gently.

"Easy…" he murmured from behind me, his lips brushing over my temple as he leaned over me. "Jet lag, heat stroke an' plain exhaustion." He explained quietly, anticipating my questions. "Just rest as long 's ya need."

"Nnn-" I protested weakly, shaking my head to try and clear the lingering dizziness I felt. "Did you s-see it?" I asked, gesturing vaguely with my arm to where I thought the footprint was; although considering Mike had obviously moved me, there was a chance I was waving in entirely the wrong direction.

"Human tracks? Yeah, I saw it…" Mike said, huffing with exasperation. "Nearly gave me a damn heart attack when ya never showed… I saw that an' thought ya'd been attacked at first." He said, as I rolled in his embrace, nuzzling into the hollow of his throat in an attempt to both give and receive comfort. "Figured it out when I checked ya over though… lucky ya fell for the smartest, best lookin' doctor this side of California, huh?"

"Hmm… and so modest too." I murmured, sighing contently as I finally began to feel more myself again. "It probably didn't help I've only been picking at Taylor's junk food all day… and haven't drank anything." I realised with a guilty wince, biting my lip at Mile's exasperated sigh and the roll of his eyes.

"An' here I thought ya were both hot _an'_ smart…" he huffed. "Oh well, guess I'll have to just keep ya 'round as arm candy after al-"

He broke off with a laugh, as I elbowed him in his side, scowling at him reproachfully. "You know, I can still change my mind and decide _not_ to marry you." I complained, though the lack of heat in my words only made him smile wider. "You're such a…" I began, trailing off as I felt myself flush with a familiar warmth, a small flame flickering curiously in my belly. "Um, w-we should uh… we should probably get moving, huh?" I coughed, unsubtly diverting the topic as I cleared my throat and looked around. "If there's a print, then there has to be a foot to have made it; and recently too, I mean, I know everything's weird here but even so-"

Mike's gentle hand on mine made my rambling draw to an abrupt pause, my eyes cutting towards him even as I felt my cheeks warm embarrassingly. "Cute as ya sudden need to be movin' is an' all," he said, a knowing gleam of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Ya been outta it all afternoon… maybe ya oughta just rest an' lemme-"

"You aren't searching alone." I cut in quickly, narrowing my eyes at him. "Just because it's a humanoid print, doesn't mean it's something that either one of us should be going after alone."

Mike watched me a moment longer, snorting softly as he shook his head. "I was _gonna_ say, lemme take care of ya." He finally chuckled, as I cleared my throat and turned my gaze away from his stupid, beautiful, smug face. "An' ya right… neither of us oughta be searchin' alone no more. When we pick up 'gain, we'll just fan out an' keep eyes on each other." He said.

"Hmm, well, no time like the present." I coughed, wriggling free of his hold and bouncing to my feet. 

Mike frowned at my sudden burst of energy. "Ya oughta rest some more… 's twice in as many days ya passed out since bein' here. We oughta-"

"Mike, stop worrying." I said dismissively. "I feel fine now. I'll make sure to snack more and make finding some water our number one priority… as we search." I offered weakly.

Mike frowned, but rolled his eyes, seeming to sense it was the best offer he was going to get. “Guess if nothin’ else, the temperature’s lower for ya at night… maybe ya oughta try sleepin’ through part of the day, find us some shade an’-” Mike cut off and raised a brow at the sound of my amused snort, which only made me laugh all the harder. "What's so damn funny there, Pup?"

"N-nothing…" I chortled unconvincingly. "I-it's just…" I snorted and covered my mouth with my hand, trying to get a grip on my stupid sense of humour. "It's just that you're playing into every vampire movie ever made… I'm h-half expecting you to say you'll turn to ash-" I couldn't stop myself from laughing even harder as Mike rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.

"Ya need some damn water." He chided with a small shake of his head. "Ya clearly delirious, thinkin' ya funny an' all."

I snickered some more as I grabbed my bag, not caring about my own idiotic behaviour when he was sulking and pouting. He looked so ridiculously cute, I figured it was a fair trade.

I took another look at the print, glancing ahead into the trees it faced. "Guess we're heading this way." I said, gesturing briefly before setting off without Mile's reply. "Maybe I should phase and sniff out a deer or something… if there are even any normal animals here." I mused, though my stomach cramped at the very idea. I frowned, wondering at the curious reaction for a moment, before dismissing it as my body just being stupid because of Mike's presence near me. "Hmm, then again; this islands fifty shades of shady, so maybe I shouldn't… for all I know I'd get stuck or something." I snorted.

"An' that'd be a waste of a fine view." Mike commented lightly from behind me. I peeked back to find him grinning unashamedly, as he pointedly stared at my ass. 

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Is there any point in me telling you to behave yourself and concentrate?" I asked, fighting the flutter of affection and amusement I felt. Why was I being such a… such a _Taylor_? It was ridiculous that I felt this happy just from Mike being an idiot.

"Oh, I'm concentratin'..." Mike replied lewdly, leaving me in no doubt that he was concentrating on something very different from what he was supposed to be.

"Okay, well how about we concentrate on _searching_ now; and… what you're thinking of later." I said, pretending not to notice the flush which burned my face as I determinedly continued forward into the jungle; my eyes searching the floor and foliage carefully for other signs of passage from our elusive target.

Mike snickered behind me, the only sign he'd heard me at all. "Hey, Mike..?" I called over my shoulder lightly, my grip on my bag tightening as I noticed the odd silence, hovering in the air around us. "Do you notice anything… different?"

"Yeah; ya ass looks way more temptin' than it did this time yesterday…" Mike replied smugly, as I ignored him and instead glanced around the trees. "Got too many clothes on it too, now ya mention it an' all." Mike continued easily, though I was certain that even _he_ couldn't be _this_ oblivious of our surroundings.

"That's… great," I said distractedly, narrowing my eyes at a dense cluster of bushes suspiciously as I slowed our pace slightly. "But I meant more, something to do with our surroundings?"

Mike laughed, slinging his arm around my shoulders as he effortlessly caught up to me and pressed a loud, smacking kiss to my cheek. "Ha, ya gettin' as suspicious as Grandpa." He laughed fondly, ruffling my hair as he nuzzled my cheek, his breath tickling my throat as he brushed his lips across my ear quickly. "They're followin'... play along an' don't draw attention, we'll strike outta the trees." He whispered quickly; too low for any human to hear, or anyone who wasn't stood right next to us both.

“You’re such a dirty old man.” I sighed, rolling my eyes as my heart skipped a beat. So it wasn’t just me; there was something going on. “How the hell can I be expected to find any kind of answers about Taylor’s sudden ability to produce mini-Jake spawns; when I’m stuck with _you_ and your… _perverted_ ideas?”

“Pfft,” Mike laughed loudly, though there was a flash of something akin to genuine outrage in his eyes as he looked at me while we walked. “Ya keep callin’ me old, Pup; I’m gonna have to start spankin’ ya for bein’ so disrespectful of ya elders.”

“Oh god, don’t say it like that!” I complained, shoving him away from me playfully, the innocent gesture fanning us out slightly as we approached a large tree. “That makes it sound like I’m some sort of child and you’re this creepy, handsy old man; stealing me from my cradle or something…”

Mike raised a brow, grinning at me lopsidedly. It was very hard to concentrate on our charade, when he looked so goddamn gorgeous right at that moment. “Ya do realise I got three an’ a half centuries on ya?” He snickered. "'S pretty much what I am-"

"Stop, or I'm phasing and going ahead." I pleaded sourly, pouting at him when his eyebrows began to dance suggestively.

"I ain't against tryin' a thing at least once," he said lightly, smirking as we separated to stalk around opposite sides of the large tree. "I ain't averse to a bit of fur-"

"You're just a pervert at heart, aren't you?" I demanded, ignoring my scorching cheeks. "The whole, nice and kindly doctor thing? Just a front to hide your… your _dirty,_ old man mind."

Mike laughed as he swung around the tree and into a decent sized clearing, walking backwards as he spread his palms innocently. “I am what I am, Pup; ain’t nobody ever complained 'bout me before-"

"Jake and Zahra _both_ complain about you. Daily." I snarked, though Mike ignored me and kept talking throughout my interjection.

"-an' I, personally, think ya gettin' all bent outta shape for nothin', Pup…" he said breezily. "I mean, for all ya know, ya'll love it just as much as I reckon I will."

"Uh huh," I hummed distractedly. "Keep dreaming, Old Man."

Mike sighed as I stopped in the middle of the clearing, frowning as I touched the back of my hand to my forehead. "What's the matter?" He asked quietly, his tone abruptly serious. "Ya feelin'-"

"I'm fine." I said just as quietly, lifting my eyes to his as his eyes searched me for signs of fatigue. "I think I need some water, after all…"

Mike hesitated, frowning at the pointed meaning in my tone. He stared at me unhappily for a solid minute, stubbornly refusing to move even as my expression soured.

"I'm going to sit down here." I finally bit out, trying hard not to snap in my irritation. Why couldn't he just damn well trust me? As soon as the thought crossed my mind I knew the answer, and I couldn't fault Mike for the unease he obviously felt at the idea of leaving me. "Please… just find me some water, there has to be a stream somewhere nearby."

"Ya'd probably sniff it out quicker if ya just phased." Mike argued weakly, shifting his weight uncomfortably as I sighed and looked away.

We didn't have time to keep wasting, pretending we didn't know there were others here; that they were following us. I bit my lip and reluctantly glanced back at him. "I… can't phase." I admitted with a grimace, flinching at the way his eyes tightened at my confession. "I think it's just to do with the heat stroke… I'm sure I will be fine _as soon as I have some water_."

Mike stared another unhappy minute, before finally throwing his hands in the air and growling as he turned away. " _Fine_ !" He groused, clearly disliking my idea that we separate; and knowing why I'd suggested it. "I won't be a _minute_." He swore, disappearing a split second later without another word.

"Urgh, that could have gone better." I sighed, dropping my bag to the ground as I ran my.other hand through my hair. "Okay, we don't really have time to play around, he _meant_ it when he said he'd be back in just a minute; so why don't we skip all the drama, and you just come out and talk to me?" I called in the direction from which we'd crossed the clearing. "We know you're there… so this will just make everything easier, right?" I said, looking around the clearing with the most relaxed pose I could manage. "Neither of us wants to cause trouble… we just want answers. We want to know what happened to our friend. Please, could you help us?"

I stood as patiently as possible, waiting with my heart in my throat as I tried to make myself as approachable as I could. I watched the clearing, counting down in my head as half a minute passed. I was just growing uneasy, thinking Mike would soon be back and nobody would have revealed themselves; when the leaves beside the large tree Mike and I had passed began to rustle. I held my breath, watching as our follower slowly stepped forward. 

My eyes ran over the newcomer curiously, my head cocked as they emerged from the jungle shadows. Slow and steady footsteps carried them closer, softly padding across the clearing until they stood just a half dozen paces from me.

“Hi.” I said quietly, nodding slowly as I offered a small half smile. “I’m Diego… can I know your name?” I tried to pretend like my heart wasn’t racing, like I wasn’t at least partly terrified of this strange newcomer; with their vivid blue skin, and their striking golden eyes, practically glowing through a lion shaped mask which hid the rest of their face.

Silence hung over us heavily for a moment, before the newcomer slowly lifted their mask to reveal a handsome; and highly curious face. “... Meum nomen est Varyyn.” They said slowly, as I nodded; as if I actually understood him. 

“Okay… this is,” I swallowed thickly, nodding still as I stared at the strange man before me. “This is progress. Okay, Varyyn.” I said, running a hand through my hair as the newcomer nodded and cocked their head at me curiously. “Let’s… talk. Somehow.”  
  
  



	16. The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooof  
> This took me forever and I am sorry  
> It is extra long at least; so hopefully that makes up for my awful-ness
> 
> Also sorry because I'm not sure if I will be getting back into this properly  
> I know; I suck  
> I'm sorry  
> But i love you all so please; a lot went into this, so please - let me know what you thought
> 
> x Our love to you all x

**The Truth**

"Um, so…" I coughed awkwardly, as the man with blue skin; _Varyyn,_ stared at me like I was some kind of fascinating specimen of… well, something weird anyway. "This is… super creepy." I said, rubbing the back of my neck as I glanced away, my face warming with embarrassment beneath the intensity of his gaze.

Varyyn cocked his head, his golden eyes sweeping over me curiously. I, in turn, examined him, feeling strangely like some kind of movie star, seeing as I was faced with some long lost island native, who was wearing only what appeared to be a skirt made of some… honestly, really amazing looking material. His ears were longer than regular humans, and his dark tattoos stood out starkly against his sky blue skin. I wondered if the effect was _all_ tattoo and surgery, or whether he was just born that way. I hoped distantly that I would get to find out before I left.

“Er, can you help me?” I asked, trying to push past the awkwardness I felt. _Answers, we need answers for Taylor’s sake!_ I scolded myself, shaking my head and clearing my throat. “Please, I need to know more about this place… my friend’s life could be in danger.” I pleaded.

The stranger blinked, his curious eyes almost seeming to see straight through me. I could feel myself blushing, despite knowing it was ridiculous how exposed I felt beneath his gaze. It was worse than having Mike look at me and make lewd gestures behind the rest of the Darwin’s backs.

"Right… language barrier. Great." I sighed, biting my lip awkwardly. I heard Mike step quickly through the trees to my left, and held out a hand toward him, his hard, cold fingers finding mine and lacing together as he moved to stand beside me without either one of us looking away from the strange newcomer.

"Ya found 'em then." He murmured quietly, his thumb caressing the back of my hand to reassure himself I wasn't hurt.

"More like, called them out, to be honest." I admitted, just as quietly. "I figured it was worth a try." I added with a shrug, squeezing his hand as I sensed his frustration.

"Ya water." He said tightly, reaching to offer me a hollowed coconut shell, filled with clear sparkling water.

"Thanks…" I said, frowning as I took the offering and glanced up at him, before looking across at the newcomer. "This uh, isn't gonna make me some sort of walking, talking fanfiction, right?" I asked, biting my lip when Varyyn merely cocked his head curiously.

"Tu novis." He said, as I nodded and sighed with exasperation.

"Right, yeah… totally." I huffed, rolling my eyes toward Mike. "Well, this is gonna be fun." I grumbled. "What do _you_ think, mister doctor man?" I asked instead.

But Mike was wasn't paying attention to me. He was gazing at the stranger; _Varyyn_ , I reminded myself, with an oddly calculative look in his eyes. "Tu loqueris Latine?"

Varyyn’s golden eyes brightened. “Vos scitis mater lingua.” He said slowly, not a question I noticed, but a statement. “Quod petis, lamia?”

I was utterly lost, swinging my head between them as each spoke. As such, I just caught Mike’s brief flinch, his eyes widening fractionally and his brows rising on his forehead, as he stared at Varyyn with obvious surprise.

“What is it?” I whispered, glancing back at Varyyn. “What did he say? Does he know about Taylor? How can you understand him? What language _is_ that?” I demanded, pouting when Mike merely frowned, seeming not to have heard me.

“Vos scitis quanta ego?” He asked Varyyn instead, as I huffed and sulked beside him, resigning myself to being a mystified observer until they’d had their private conversation.

“Etiam.” Varyyn nodded, his golden eyes flashing as he turned toward me with a small flick of his wrist, unmistakably gesturing towards me. “Et shapeshifter.”

“Hey, it is _rude_ to talk about people when they can’t even understand you!” I huffed, gripping my makeshift coconut cup tightly and barely resisting the urge to throw it at his head. “And _you,_ ” I hissed, turning towards Mike. “You had better start explaining pretty damn soon.” I warned, narrowing my eyes when Mike half raised a hand toward me and then continued to talk to Varyyn as if I hadn’t spoken.

“Lupinotuum pectinem.” Mike replied slowly, glancing down at me with a small shrug. “Sed mihi satis sinapis-”

“Nihil.” Varyyn said quickly, sweeping his hand through the air firmly in clear rejection of whatever Mike had said. “Luna, non a puero.” He continued, gesturing up to the sky as I glanced between the two with a petulant scowl. I hated feeling so excluded, but I knew Mike would explain everything to me… when he remembered I was here. “Shapeshifter. Quando et eligere potest figura.” He said insistently.

Mike raised his palms in placation, nodding along slowly with whatever Varyyn was saying. “Qui nesciunt nobis...” he said, frowning as I jabbed my elbow into his side. _Hard._ He raised a brow and looked down at me, blinking as if surprised to see me standing beside him still.

“I don’t like being excluded, so if you could _wrap this little pow wow the fuck up,_ that would be really cool.” I said tightly, narrowing my eyes when Mike’s lips twitched with the threat of a smile.

“Quod iuncta es.” Varyyn said, cocking his head as his eyes flickered between us curiously. I pouted and stuck my tongue out at him, folding my arms over my chest and scowling at the floor.

“Quod sic.” Mike replied, his voice strangely soft. I glanced up to see him gazing down at me with a warm smile which left no doubt as to his feelings about me. I felt myself begin to flush, almost certain I could feel the return of the glow in my belly as we gazed at each other. “Sumus.”

I frowned faintly, reaching up to flick Mike’s nose irritably. “Why do I feel so sappy when I’m so pissed that I can’t understand you?” I grumbled.

Mike laughed, leaning down to kiss my cheek fondly for a second, before returning his attention to Varyyn. “Vos linguis loquuntur?” He asked, grinning as he tipped his head towards me. “Reliqua non vult exire...”

To my surprise, Varyyn actually laughed, a deep rumble escaping him as I turned an accusatory glare toward Mike. “Qua lingua facit requirere?” He replied, as I blinked and raised a brow.

“Anglicus bonum est tibi?” Mike asked, spreading his palms in obvious question.

Varyyn frowned, glancing between us uncertainly for the first time. “... Ego sum ignota.” He said slowly, narrowing his eyes as I sighed and jabbed my fist, not so gently, into Mike’s shoulder.

“Okay, I am _so_ done with this whole; exclude Diego game you two have going on.” I bit out, scowling at Mike when his lips twitched with the threat of another stupid grin at my behaviour. “I have been a very patient Diego, but now I am honestly kinda pissed and beyond over this whole… stupid…” I trailed off as Mike’s fingers drifted up my arm, trailing along my shoulder and curling behind my neck as he pulled me closer. “... I-”

“Hush up, Pup.” Mike snickered, his grin growing far too smug as my chest began to rumble faintly at the gentle motion of his fingers against the back of my neck. "He's speakin' Latin, 's what he calls the 'mother tongue' so, I'm guessin' his uh… _people_ , ain't much for modern livin'." He explained, as I sighed contently and leaned against his chest, whining and scowling up at him when he made to remove his hand from whatever amazing thing he'd been doing to the back of my neck. "Heh… proper 'lil Pup, huh? Maybe I oughta scratch behind ya ear, see what ya make of-"

The dark scowl I threw him only made him laugh, but he relented and continued to do… whatever it was he was doing, while he explained what I had missed. "Anyhow, he ain't so sure 'bout English, so ya might have to make do with a translator a while longer."

"I hate how you can be so annoying, smug and charming all in one." I complained petulantly, rolling my eyes as he practically radiated amusement. "What else did he say?" I asked, sighing and closing my eyes as I leaned into his soothing touch. "You got all smug at one point… what was that all about?"

Mike chuckled fondly. "He said we were mated." He murmured, as I smiled against his chest and purred contently. I wasn't sure why the idea of someone just _sensing_ that we were together made me so happy, but with Mike doing that magic thing to the back of my neck, I really didn't care. "He uh, seems to think ya ain't a werewolf an' all…"

"Hmm, well, nobody's perfect I guess." I huffed, sighing again as I _very_ reluctantly stood straight and pulled away from Mike's amazing touch. "Except you, of course… and you're doing that again later, by the way." I added, only part playfully as I jabbed my finger into his chest. "Can you ask about Taylor and Jake? Ask if he saw them while they were here and if he might know anything about Taylor's… condition."

"Taylor…" Varyyn's voice was soft, tentative; as if he were tasting the sound of my best friends name.

I blinked and looked over at him, his strange golden eyes seeming to glow as my gaze met his. I frowned, blinking at the strange prickling I felt in the back of my head. "Wha-?" I began, shaking my head slightly; though my eyes remained hostage to Varyyn's strangely captive gaze.

The prickling grew, intensified the longer we stared at one another, until I gasped suddenly, a rush of knowledge flowing through my head; like a book being flicked through by some sentient machine demanding input.

"Ah," Varyyn sighed, his golden eyes finally releasing mine as he nodded slowly. "I see." He said, smiling at me warmly. "Your friends were here? The ones who stayed in the unnatural place?"

"Hey, I built that place meself, ain't a damn thing unnatural 'bout it!" Mike protested, scowling over at Varyyn petulantly.

I swatted his arm distractedly, frowning at Varyyn myself. “I thought you said he wasn’t sure of English…” I murmured to Mike, while scratching my brow faintly. My brows furrowed further as the itch in my head finally began to recede. “Wait… did, did you just Jedi-mind swipe me?” I demanded, as Varyyn nodded, seeming relieved that I understood.

“Mind talker, yes.” He said, smiling as he gestured to my head. “My people learn quickly, we see through others eyes and then we share with the rest of our people.”

I grimaced, shifting my weight uncomfortably. "Well that's… cool?" I coughed awkwardly.

"Pretty nifty trick for breakin' through language barriers…" Mike admitted thoughtfully beside me. His lips twitched with amusement when I flashed him a scowl, and he quickly cleared his throat. "But uh, maybe ask before ya go mind delvin' 'gain, yeah Papa Smurf?"

Varyyn cocked his head curiously, while I rolled my eyes. Sometimes I couldn't decide who was worse at nicknaming, Jake or Mike.

"You must speak with my mother," Varyyn said a moment later, seeming indifferent to Mike's comment; much to _my_ amusement and Mike's consternation. "She will explain your friend's circumstances." He promised, gesturing for us to follow him as he turned away.

Mike frowned, holding his arm out to prevent me from following our strange guide. "How d'we know ya people ain't gonna attack soon's they set eyes on us?" He asked cautiously, ignoring my impatient scoff. "We could be walkin' right into a trap…" he murmured toward me.

"If he wanted to hurt us he could have by now." I hissed back. "This is what we came here for. Answers! I'm going," I said firmly. "So either stay here alone, or come with me." I scowled at him determinedly, narrowing my eyes when he fought to suppress a grin.

"Well, if ya gonna get all dominant then by all means…" he finally said, barely keeping a straight face. "Lead the way." He said, gesturing for me to follow after Varyyn, who was waiting for us curiously by the trees.

I huffed, straightening my shoulders and striding forward confidently, feeling empowered by the fact that I had won… and the knowledge that Mike's eyes would be on my ass for the better part of our journey.

We didn't talk along our travels through the jungle. After the first hour, I began worrying my lip, unable to tell if we'd fallen into a good and friendly or a tense and 'I may turn into a guy who tries to kill you' silence; but Varyyn seemed content enough as he led us onward, so I tried to tell myself it was just shyness keeping us quiet.

I started when Mike's hand wove into mine, but I didn't look at him. Whether he had sensed my unease or whether he was just nervous himself, neither mattered; it was just a comfort to have him holding my hand.

Eventually, Varyyn paused, glancing back with a smile as he parted the branches of the last of the trees for us. "Welcome, to Elyys'tel." Varyyn said warmly, his golden eyes alight with a warmth which made my previous fears seem especially ridiculous.

"Wow…" I breathed, staring into the valley beyond the trees. "That… is a _really_ big tree." This was quite the understatement, even by my; no, by _Taylor's_ standards. I felt myself blush even before I heard Mike's snort of laughter, throwing him a brief scowl; though it lacked any real heat.

"Not too shabby, Blues Clues." Mike said, whistling as he looked out across the sprawling landscape beyond a cliff edge a short distance beyond the end of the jungle, where an _enormous_ tree stood at the heart of what could only be described as a thriving, natural village. “Puts me own digs to shame, for sure.”

I shook my head as I looked across the village, sprawled through the branches of the mother of all trees to ever exist… or at least, I was fairly positive it must have been. We were still a fair distance away after all; and it looked as big as a damn skyscraper. Maybe bigger. “Wow… it’s beautiful, Varyyn.” I breathed, watching tiny shapes move along the distant bridges and move among the various huts and staircases.

“Thankyou.” Varyyn said warmly, seeming pleased with our reaction to his home. “Come, you must speak with mother.” He said, gesturing for us to follow him.

Mike and I exchanged a glance, his hand squeezing mine gently, before we fell into step behind our new friend as one; the huge tree growing larger as we approached. 

I stared in awe, craning my neck as the tree utterly dwarfed us, blocking out the sky with its freaky huge branches. Wooden planks and slats had been laid between branches everywhere like flooring, small huts and bigger huts lining the walkways, which were edged carefully with rope barriers; I assumed to prevent those of Varyyn’s people who were as dumb as Taylor from falling. 

My eyes turned this way and that, eager to see everything I possibly could and burn it into my memory. Everywhere I looked was covered in flowers, and I was desperate to know if this was the norm or if something was going on… from the bustling of Varyyn’s strangely colourful people, I assumed the latter.

“‘S an impressive lookin’ treehouse ya’ll got here.” Mike said before I could ask about the flowers, raising a brow at my faint huff of frustration. “The hell just crawled up _your_ ass an’ turned septic?” He snorted, grinning at me lopsidedly. “Need the good ol’ doc to check for ya?”

I bared my teeth and growled at him, before promptly looking away; though I was absolutely _not_ pouting as I stared at the stairs which Varyyn led us up. “Well shit… did I just land meself in the _dog_ house?” He asked lightly, radiating amusement as I sighed and rolled my eyes.

He was way to smug with himself, but I had no way of bringing him down a peg at present. I sucked in a deep breath and counted to five, locking away a reminder to knock him down to size later that night; when it was just us and we had no witness to our actions. With my mental note saved in my memory, I returned to my examination of the huts we passed, curious about whether they were for storage or living in.

Varyyn was either using his mind reading abilities or I was being that obvious with my staring, because he answered my unspoken questions as we came to a halt. “My people live simply… we do not need for much." He said, following my eyes to a couple exiting one of the huts, who seemed entirely focused on one another; although, I did still find myself curious about one _particular_ thing.

"My people have been so for as long as we remember." Varyyn chuckled, either guessing from my awed gaze or filtering through my thoughts again. I was too curious to be pissed if it were the latter, right now.

"And just how long _do_ you remember?" I asked distractedly, turning my head slightly to keep my eyes on the blue skinned man and the green skinned woman a little longer.

Varyyn smiled, a hint of playfulness in his gaze as he looked back at me. "Many centuries longer than your mate, here." He said, cocking his head curiously when I blushed at the way my heart leapt like a damn idiot at the easy mention of my bond with Mike.

"'S a pretty impressive claim," Mike said lightly, his hand feeling almost warm within my own, I noticed distractedly. "How come ya ain't never learned English, if ya've been 'round so long 's all that? Ya folk must be pushin' same age as the Volturi, if what ya say 's true."

"The Volturi…" Varyyn scoffed, shaking his head darkly. "They are foolish. We have existed far longer than they… my mother tells of leaving the island once; to stop the terror and torment of the Volturi and bring them to order. It was before my time; you would have to ask her for the details of the war." He said easily.

I glanced at Mike curiously, squeezing his hand as he blinked with surprise. I supposed the Volturi had neglected to mention any such war during the years they'd been friends with Mike. “I’m sure there’s a good reason they never mentioned it…” I murmured, as Varyyn nodded his head seriously.

“Yes, their losses were great.” He said, as I rolled my eyes, making a mental note that sarcasm was going to be a big no-no for the remainder of our stay. “The Volturi learned to fear the Vaanti. They have kept to the laws of the supernatural since that time.”

“Laws o’ the supernat’ral?” Mike repeated slowly, his brown eyes cutting toward me sharply as we shared a meaningful look, laden with questions, answers and new suspicions combined.

“Yes.” Varyyn repeated, turning to look at us both with a solemn expression. “The laws are not to be taken lightly… when they are broken, the Vaanti will intervene and the lawbreaker will be educated or erased.” He said, his golden eyes blazing intently.

“Okay…” I said, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly. “Well, that’s, um… good to know…” I coughed, nodding in what I hoped was a ‘that’s super creepy and ominous but please don’t kill me for thinking that’ kind of way. “So… what did the Volturi _do_ exactly, anyway?” I asked curiously, hoping that I could shake off the stupid feeling that Mike and I were about to be murdered. Or at least, I hoped it was a stupid feeling.

“My mother would be able to answer your questions best,” Varyyn said, frowning slightly as he glanced away for the first time. “I was not there, while she led the charge against their forces. What I have heard in stories; is that the Volturi massacred many, mortal and immortal alike, to gain their thrones of blood.” He said, turning away as he led us toward a pair of large and heavily decorated doors. 

I wanted to examine the deep carvings, and I could tell by the _human_ pace at which he walked, that Mike was eager to study them too; no doubt wanting to see if he could learn as much as he possibly could about these strange, island natives before we left for home. Much to both of our consternations, however, Varyyn pushed the huge, towering doors open; and led us straight through them.

My childish frustration was quickly muted as Mike and I followed Varyyn into an enormous hollow chamber within the centre of the gargantuan tree. I whistled in awe as I looked around, my eyes tracing the three huge faces which were carved along the top of the room; what appeared to be, at my own uneducated assumption, two females and a male… though I wasn’t sure whether that actually mattered at all, or if it was just me being, well, me.

They were so intricately carved though, it was almost like looking at a real person; well, magnified by about a thousand or so. I wasn’t sure how a people with what appeared to be such rudimentary technology, could have created something so utterly lifelike and… beautiful. I was pretty sure most famous artists wouldn’t be able to carve to even half such detail into anything.

“Mother,” Varyyn called, drawing my attention from the huge faces which silently judged me as I approached with Mike, leading me to lower my gaze to finally notice the great throne we were approaching. I was slightly disconcerted to realise the structure appeared to be made of bone, even more so when I saw the withered crone seated regally upon it, though I hoped Varyyn didn’t use any of his weird Jedi-mind swiping abilities to know that I thought of her in such a way, considering he’d called her ‘mother’. “These travellers seek your audience.”

I swallowed thickly, glancing at Mike briefly, who squeezed my hand gently and quirked his lip in the most fleeting of crooked grins I had ever known him to wear. Mike’s attention returned to the withered crone before us, my eyes following his shortly afterward, as I mentally scolded myself to stop calling her a withered crone. I didn’t really want to piss Varyyn or his people off if I could avoid it.

With my newly conditioned mind finally behaving, I examined the withe… _the old, lady_ , carefully. Her hair was longer than Michelle's even, hanging around her waist like a veil of fire at her back, with a golden lace crown sat atop her head… which to me, looked like a misplaced doily. But hey, who was I to judge another cultures dress schemes?

It was hardly surprising I kept thinking of her as withered though, I reasoned with myself, eyeing her heavily wrinkled, green skin curiously. Then too, Varyyn has said she had left the island to deal with the Volturi; many centuries before Mike had even been born into his vampire life, so… who knows, maybe me mentally calling her a withered old crone wouldn't be such a big deal after all. Maybe he called her the same. Maybe he called her worse.

Oh god, why was I like this? Watching two strange people interact quietly, their skin of blue and green striking in the otherwise very brown-centric room, possibly; for all I knew, talking in their own weird, native language about how to kill, cook and eat us… and I was freaking out over whether he called his mother insulting names in his head.

I started when Mike's cool hand shifted in mine slightly, his thumb sweeping with careful gentility across the back of my hand as I glanced up at him… and tried to pretend I didn't notice that warm little ember in my belly, flickering hopefully.

"It has been many, many years since I have seen either a vampire or shapeshifter upon our island." A female voice drew my reluctant attention from Mike's stupid, too attractive face. I turned back to the not at all creepy bone throne, blinking at glowing golden eyes now peering at me curiously. "Welcome. I am Ximaedra, Elyyshar to the Vaanti people. What brings you here?"

I blinked, not having expected her to speak english right off the bat. I glanced at Varyyn questioningly, blushing when he smiled back at me knowingly.

"We are fast learners." He chuckled, tapping the side of his head. "They came to ask about their friends, the strangers who stayed in the unnatural place, on the far side of the island." 

I bit my lip to keep from grinning when Mike twitched, clearly still put out about his island retreat being referred to as 'unnatural,' though he managed to let it go at least.

Ximaedra nodded, the wrinkles around her eyes creasing further as she frowned in confusion. "What should we know about the strangers? I thought they had left… did something happen to them?"

Mike and I exchanged a look, before I cleared my throat and coughed awkwardly. "Um… yeah, I guess you uh, you could say that…" I said quickly, lowering my eyes to the ground and wondering if this would ever be the strangest story I ended up sharing about my best friend. “Well, see… they came here for their honeymoon. Taylor is human, at the moment anyway, but Jake is like Mike; a vampire.” I explained, gesturing to Mike as Ximaedra and Varyyn nodded politely. “They wanted to get married before Taylor stepped over to the whole, immortal realm thing… but, Taylor wanted something else from Jake before he turned too and obviously he got it but, uh… we think something must have happened somewhere that, we, well-” I looked up at Mike imploringly, feeling my face bunch up in a scowl as he grinned down at me with obvious fond amusement.

“Ya killin’ me here, Pup, ya know that, right?” He asked with a chuckle.

“Shut up.” I grumbled, looking away with a huff and pretending I didn’t notice my face burning. Stupid vampire.

Mike sighed, but he at least laid off the teasing, however reluctantly. “What my hot ‘lil fiance here’s tryin’a say; ‘s the Kid got himself knocked up…” he said, turning to face Varyyn and Ximaedra. “An’, we ain’t gotta clue how the fuck it happened, or how in the hell to help him.”

Varyyn’s eyes slipped towards his mother before Mike had finished talking, the pair seeming to have an entire conversation without exchanging a single word. I pouted, wishing I could have borrowed Jake’s ability to read minds like these damn Jedi assholes.

“They are… both male, correct?” Varyyn queried, glancing towards us briefly.

“Last I checked.” Mike snorted, glancing at me with a grin when I elbowed him in the side. _Hard._ “Aye, two dicks, two asses; not a pair o’ damn titties in sight ‘tween ‘em-”

“Oh my god, I swear, if you don’t shut up; I am _divorcing_ you before we even get married!” I hissed between my teeth, scowling at Mike as he laughed at my irritation.

“You are strange.” Varyyn sighed, shaking his head slowly as he watched us. My eyes narrowed at the twitch of Mike’s lips, silently daring the man to laugh again and test my patience.

I frowned, lowering my eyes as I considered the unusually short fuse to my temper, wondering why I suddenly felt so restless; like my skin was crawling, covered with wolf hair, despite my currently human form. Maybe it was the heat thing, overwhelming me again? I’d get Mike to check me over later, maybe… if I stopped feeling so embarrassed and pissed because of him.

“So ya said, Blues Clues…” Mike said, clearing his throat and _attempting_ to control himself at least, I had to admit. “So, I get the feelin’ ya got some sorta idea ‘bout what’s goin’ on with the Kid, then?” He pressed, his attention suddenly riveted on the two, potential lifesavers, before us.

“Please,” I added, pushing aside my strange mood and refocusing on what we had come here for. “Anything you can tell us about how this might have happened… anything that might help us care for him, _anything_ you tell us could save his life.” I pleaded.

Ximaedra and Varyyn exchanged another brief look, before she smiled toward Mike and I warmly. “We know how this miracle came to be.” She said, spreading her palms as I held my breath, my hand squeezing Mike’s so tightly I thought it might even crack his rock hard skin. “Vaanu has blessed your friend.”

I admit, this wasn’t quite what I had been expecting; and unfortunately, I guessed that my reaction showed this. “What?” I blurted dumbly, immediately shaking my head and cursing my stupid mouth, my face on fire as I tried to ignore Mike’s stiffness beside me. I had to give him credit for not laughing outright, I suppose.

“Vaanu,” Ximaedra repeated, smiling at me as if this should answer all my questions, rather than giving me more. “The spirit which resides upon this island, who protects and provides for us… the being which created all supernatural beings; and which first granted immortal life to those it deemed worthy.” She explained calmly, closing her eyes and bowing her head reverently as she made a strange symbol with her fingers; mimicked by her son a short distance away as he too bowed his head respectfully.

I was pretty sure my jaw was about to hit the floor, my mouth fell open so fast. Before I could actually hurt myself however, Mike’s cool finger was gently closing my gaping lips, his perfect face a perfect reflection of the shock which I no doubt showed myself. "So, what ya tellin' us here, is some mystical bein' of undetermined origin… took it on 'emselves to 'bless' the Kid with a set o' ovaries an' a womb?" Mike finally bit out, blinking and running his free hand through his hair with a distracted snort.

Ximaedra didn't even blink at Mike's incredulous tone or his sarcastic scoff, smiling and nodding her head as I stared in mute disbelief. "Vaanu has blessed many of my people with this gift; it is a great honour for it to have been bestowed upon your friends."

A loud snort rang through the chamber, and I looked up at Mike in surprise. I had never known him to be so antagonistic. "An' ya 'lil spirit buddy never thought maybe a vampire an' a human maybe ain't s'posed to make a kid together? I mean, there ain't never been a pairin' like theirs! An' that's without the added anatomy issues they got now."

“Vaanu sees the world in a purer way than we,” Ximaedra said calmly. Too calmly for my liking, considering even Mike was upset by this… _things_ interference. “The act of sexual intercourse is, to it’s perception; for reproductive purposes. Vaanu has blessed many of our people with it’s gift… many same sex couples, both men and women. They have been blessed with their own miracles.” She said, like this was some kind of natural occurrence here. For all I knew it was.

“Even if it’s a blessing or a miracle to _your_ people…” I said carefully, squeezing Mike’s hand when his expression hardened. “To Taylor, this is more of a death sentence. A human body isn’t built to carry a vampire child… it’s growing too fast, his body is struggling to keep up.” I explained, as Ximaedra frowned.

“The miracle is still a miracle, even through hardships.” She said, glancing at Varyyn. “I am confident that Vaanu has not done this in error… there is always a reason; a calling for its aid.” She insisted, though her brow remained furrowed with obvious concern. "I am positive your friend will pull through. I am sorry we cannot do more for you, but I will call for some of our strongest remedies to be brought to you, before you return home."

I could tell there would be no further questioning of this spirit, 'Vaanu,' so I cleared my throat and asked the first question which came to mind when I noticed Mike about to argue further. "Varyyn mentioned that you fought with the Volturi once," I blurted quickly, successfully distracting Mike from whatever issue he'd been about to press. "He said something about the 'Laws of the Supernatural..?' Could you tell us more about that? About what happened?" 

Ximaedra's expression turned cold in a heartbeat, her golden eyes glowing in her suddenly dark face. "The Volturi," she sneered. "Nothing but monsters, pretending to be civilised… the bane of all that which is supernatural." She said, shaking her head darkly, her bright eyes locking onto me curiously. "How much do you know of their bloodstained history?"

I exchanged a glance with Mike, searching his eyes briefly as he hesitated with obvious unease. Mike being typical Mike; he wanted to know, but didn't want to pry. For someone who could be such a damn idiot, he was probably more considerate than anyone else on this entire bloody planet. "We know only of their present, but we would like to know the truth of their past… of their origins. If you would tell us." I said, looking back at Ximaedra as Mike's fingers squeezed mine briefly.

Ximaedra drew in a deep breath, closing her eyes as she folded her thin, wrinkly hands in her lap. "The thrones of blood which the Volturi covet, they were not always stained so…" she sighed, her golden eyes glowing as she reopened them and locked her piercing gaze onto me. "Mortals once ruled the land, perhaps not entirely without bloodshed, it’s true; but they did not slaughter innocent’s the way the Volturi did when they sought to rule. The Queen of that land had been through much, survived betrayal and usurpation… but she was fair. She led her people with wisdom and did not hesitate to strike should a threat befall her kingdom or her people.” 

The withered old- _Ximaedra_ , I mentally corrected myself, looked away briefly, taking a deep breath as she seemed to try and compose herself. 

“The Queen was not prepared for a foe with little to no scruples, however.” The Elyyshar said tightly. "The _Volturi_ as they would come to call themselves, were merciless. No better than monsters." She said, turning back to face Mike and I with a hardness in her gaze. "They slaughtered anyone they saw. Man, woman… and child. The Queen herself was eventually slain, fighting to protect the few of her people whom she had managed to help flee the pointless bloodshed." She sighed, shaking her head sadly.

"That's…" I breathed, swallowing thickly as I shook my head slowly. "It's unbelievable..!" I said, baffled by the brutal tale.

"I dunno 'bout that…" Mike muttered from beside me, his eyes troubled as I turned to look at him, though he tried to avert them from my gaze. "Sounds pretty like 'em, if ya ask me." He said thickly, guilt emanating from him like a slowly ebbing tide.

"Hey," I whispered, squeezing his hand tightly. "You are not to blame for their actions; especially not… _centuries_ before you even existed." I said soothingly, narrowing my eyes when his lips pulled down in a grimace. "Don't you dare try to take any sort of blame, Mike Darwin, or so help me; I will take back my agreement to marry you!" I hissed viciously, scowling when Mike had the audacity to laugh quietly, his expression flipping like a like switch; though the guilt remained in his eyes when they finally met mine.

"Ya're a goddamn liar, Pup." He chuckled softly, shaking his head at me fondly.

I blushed, bristling at the fact he knew me so damn well. "Shut up and stop feeling bad for shit that isn't your fault." I snapped quietly, pointedly turning my face away from his stupid, smug grin. "The ha- uh, Ximaedra is telling us about the Volturi's past; you didn't know them then, they weren't your friends. You couldn't have stopped them." I huffed rapidly, positive I was steaming with irritation. Or maybe that was just the humidity. "Stop being stupid and listen."

Mike chuckled beside me. "Aye, _sir_." He said, nosing my hair fondly as his fingers squeezed mine back gently.

I rolled my eyes at his goofy grin, pretending the warm glow in my belly didn’t leap into an inferno at his playful reply. “Please, don’t mind this idiot…” I sighed, gesturing to Mike as I addressed the Elyyshar. “Go on. We would like to know the truth, please.” I said, privately hoping there wasn’t much left to hear. I really didn’t like this whole ‘merciless slaughter’ thing.

“There is little else to tell of their cruelty,” Ximaedra said with a weary sigh, shaking her head as I did a mental jig of relief. “Except that it went on for many a decade… until Vaanu bid us to intervene.”

“Vaanu did?” I interrupted, blushing with embarrassment as Varyyn chuckled. I was amused by the way Mike’s hand tightened on mine briefly, before he curled his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to his side. I glanced up at him, my lips twitching at the tight set of his jaw. Jealousy was adorable on him. “The uh, the spirit… thingy?” I clarified, pushing aside Mike’s ridiculous behaviour for some later time.

“Yes,” Ximaedra nodded solemnly. “Vaanu bade us to put an end to the Volturi’s bloody reign; to make them abide by the rules which Vaanu gave us upon our creation; or to die at our hands as punishment for their crimes.”

"Wow," I whistled before I could stop myself. "Brutal." I quickly slapped my hand over my mouth as Mike began to cackle beside me, stomping on his foot roughly to no avail. I might as well have been kicking a stone.

Lucky for me and my mortified ass, Ximaedra and Varyyn seemed just as amused by my runaway mouth as Mike was. "Yes, we have often had to intervene in the Supernatural world… we are swift," she said, her lips parting in a gentle, but definitely creepy grin. " _Brutal_ … and thorough." She said, chuckling when I cleared my throat and looked away uncomfortably.

Kind they may have been to Mike and I, but I was suddenly pretty sure these Vaanti weirdos had just as much blood on their hands as they claimed the Volturi did.

Varyyn chuckled at me and I scowled at him, thinking a pointedly rude thought as I sniffed and turned away.

"We lost many in that endless, bloody battle…" Ximaedra said quietly, slowly shaking her head, before looking at me slyly; her lips curving into a wicked smile. “But they lost more.” She said, as I shuddered and made a mental note to learn all the laws that apparently applied to this crazy ass world I found myself a part of, because I really did not want to ever find myself on her shit list.

"O-oh…" I coughed, nodding slowly as I tried to look anywhere but at the old crone. "That… that's uh, super creepy." 

Mike's cool fingers squeezed mine gently. I glanced at him, his eyes sad with a loss he'd never even known. I rolled my own eyes at his excessive kindness. Dumbass felt bad for people he never even knew, he was so against violence. Before I could suitably mock his too soft heart however, ironic and amusong though I knew it would be, Ximaedra continued on to say something which totally blew my amazing wit from my thoughts.

"I've never been certain which war was greater…" the Elyyshar mused. "That of enlightening the Volturi, or the teachings of the Children of the Moon."

I normally felt pretty darn hot, but those words made me shiver. Was I already on her shit list, just by existing?

Varyyn, smug mind reading bastard that he was, looked me right in the eye as he laughed at my sudden discomfort. Ximaedra raised a brow at her son from beneath her lacy veil. "What amuses you so, my son?"

Varyyn chuckled again, still grinning in my direction as he answered his mother. “Diego, the Shapeshifter, is nervous,” he said, as I raised a brow, glancing at Mike in confusion. Mike shrugged at me unhelpfully, gesturing for me to listen to the Vaanti explain. “His people believe they are Children of the Moon; and he believes that the Vaanti will converge upon him and his people for past sins.”

I scowled as Ximaedra burst into a musical laugh, much prettier than her withered looks. “Oh, my… such a sweet child.” She trilled, shaking her head and patting her chest softly as she smiled at me. “Your people are mistaken about your origins and heritage.” She said gently, amused by my evident confusion.

I frowned, looking at Mike, who shook his head minutely; his eyes flicking between the Vaanti with a familiar blazing curiosity. I sighed and rolled my eyes. Trust me to fall for the nerd who loved nothing more than learning… although, I supposed that was _part_ of why I loved him so irrevocably. His hunger for knowledge that might help someone one day, or even if it didn’t. “What the hell do you mean?” I asked, shaking my head slowly. “I get angry, I bust out in a full fur coat, run around on all fours and… well, okay, I don’t howl at the moon or anything, but-”

Ximaedra’s trilling laugh brought me to a startled halt. I blinked at her dazedly, certain I wasn't _that_ funny with my sarcastic response.

"The legends of your people have been slightly… misconstrued, over the years." Ximaedra explained. "Your people tell of the great Spirit King, do they not? Of the deception which forced him to first leave his body and possess that gentle beast?" 

I frowned at the flutter of sensation inside my head, like the gentle caress of a soft feather. "Something tells me you know all of our stories now." I grumbled petulantly, as Ximaedra chuckled and shrugged her shoulders dismissively.

"This was only one change for your people." She said, drawing in a deep breath as she smiled at me kindly. "The great wolf which shared its space with the king was but the first great change. The Spirit Warriors were brave and intelligent… and they sought other animal companions to learn from." I took an involuntary step back, stunned by the possibility of what the Elyyshar implied.

"You're saying..?" I asked, shaking my head and looking at Mile questioningly, as he stroked the back of my hand with his thumb.

"Your legends tell of the great wolf-men, but they forgot those who bonded with great eagles or with the elk, the lions or the bears…" Ximaedra confirmed, nldding slowly as I sucked in a deep breath and ran my hand through my hair, looking around the floor without seeing it as I tried to wrap my head around the revelation. "Many of those people left the tribe, called by the wilds of nature as their bonded new animal sides were… but that ability remains. With study and practice, there's no reason your people shouldn't still possess those same abilities, Shapeshifter."

My head was reeling. All this time we had thought ourselves werewolves, cursed to fight against the 'cold ones' and protect human lives… when really, we could have been anything. Had the Taíno chosen to keep this from us because the great wolf was the perfect weapon to battle the vampires? Had they deliberately withheld this, so we would not think to question the form which we took? Had my father known, but never told us? Told me? Had he lied to me? Again?

"Hey," Mike's soft voice distracted me from my mental freak out. "'S okay… we'll ask him 'bout it when we get home, yeah?" He said, his eyes warm as he easily read what was bothering me the most.

I sucked in a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Yeah… yeah, we'll ask after we fill Taylor and Jake in on everything." I agreed, gesturing vaguely toward Ximaedra and Varyyn. "Wow… just imagine, we could have been big ass birds or something this whole time." I said, clicking my tongue as I gazed distractedly over Mike's shoulder. "I wonder how the Alpha thing would have worked then… maybe I wouldn't have had a choice about it then." I mused distantly.

"Alpha…" Ximaedra repeated, cocking her bead as she eyed me thoughtfully, her sharp golden eyes seeming to see straight through me. I shifted uncomfortably, wondering if she was reading my soul. "Ah, this is yourself? You are the heir?"

I winced. I hated being _the heir_. "Yeah," I sighed. "That'd be me." I said, mockingly saluting the Elyyshar.

"You are the leader of your people." Ximaedra said, bowing her head respectfully. "Elyyshar, in your own right."

"Oh, uh… that's not-" I babbled, suddenly _way_ too uncomfortable with the turn in this conversation. "I mean, I don't really… I left. Um, someone else leads my uh, my… _former_ people. I," I paused, looking at Mike and relaxing slowly as he grinned at me. "I found _my_ people were actually… elsewhere."

My belly warmed at the gleeful flash of Mike's eyes, our combined joy a tangible buzz in the air around us.

"There can be only one Alpha," Ximaedra said, perforating the bubble of mine and Mike's happiness with a tone of warning. "One is born an Alpha… another may step in for a short time, but to do so for an extended period would have dire circumstances."

"Dire..?" I repeated slowly, as I licked my lips and frowned at her in confusion and concern. "Oh god, how do I just _know_ I'm not gonna like this..?" I groaned.

Ximaedra gazed at me intently, a strange urgency in her eyes. “An Alpha is born to lead, they’re already prepared even subconsciously, for the burden they will bear…” she explained seriously. “Another may not step into that role… it is sacred to the bloodline of Kings past.”

“Right… but, I wasn’t the first to uh, to… _change._ ” I said, a thick sense of dread swam through my gut. “Someone uh, well someone changed a long time before anyone else. He’s an Alpha too.”

“He is an imitation.” Ximaedra countered immediately. “The Alpha role may be temporarily sustained by another, in the direst of circumstances… but to fulfil the role of Alpha extensively when it is not of your blood; it will lead to a sickness of the mind. Madness so deep, friend will become foe, mate binds will be twisted into that of possession and will ultimately be lost. If left to fester for too long, the damage to the mind will be irrevocable and eventually… the lifeforce itself is consumed by it." 

"So, what you're telling me here is," I said, pressing my palm to my head as I tried to fathom the truth of the huge revelation. "Sean's _literally_ going crazy." I asked, though; deep down, I had a feeling I knew the answer.

"Yes." Ximaedra confirmed solemnly.

I exhaled a sharp breath, running my hand over my mouth slowly. Suddenly everything clicked into place. We'd all said he was going mad with power; but we'd never considered it was genuine madness, a sickness rather than a choice. "How… how do we stop it?" I asked thickly, glancing at Mike as he looked back at me with quiet concern. "How do we stop him from… from..?"

"If he can be reached; convinced to step down from the role," Ximaedra said, spreading her palms. "The mind may yet heal itself… but, it depends on the severity of his sickness."

Mike's eyes met mine solemnly, the thought as clear in his gaze as I expected it was in mine. Had Sean already gone past the point of no return? Would he let that sickness kill him; to keep that power over the pack?

Considering what he'd done to me in the months he'd been isolating and controlling me… I wasn't hopeful. My heart sank, guilt eating at me. If I had accepted my birth right as soon as I first transformed… would I have spared him the darkness now gnawing it's way through his mind?

"Ain't ya fault, Pup." Mike's quiet murmur made me start, my eyes flicking away from his guiltily as he read me like a book.

I sighed, shaking my head and running my free hand through my hair as I tried to think of just how the hell I could convince Sean to step down from the role of Alpha. "What if I-" my thoughts were interrupted by a loud horn blaring from outside, and I turned instead of completing my sentence as another withered old Vaanti hobbled into the apparent throne room with the help of a twisted wooden cane.

"Elyyshar," they greeted, sharing an intense look with Ximaedra for a half of a heartbeat. " _Ah_!" He chuckled, turning a toothy grin toward Mike and I. "I do so love it when we have outsiders visit, especially those with new languages to be learned."

I raised a brow as I glanced between them all. This mind reading business was pretty cool… kind of like the pack mind, except it appeared that they could choose when to share and when not to.

"Uqzhaal…" Ximaedra greeted the hobbling old man warmly. "Is my presence required?" She asked knowingly, smiling softly as I tried to understans whatevwr the hell was going on from the disjointed conversation.

"It is, Elyyshar." The newcomer, Uqzhaal, replied. "The Niala'rei waits only on you, our glorious leader." He said, as I frowned and glamced at Varyyn questioningly.

The Vaanti chuckled. "Niala'rei is our most sacred of ceremonies" he explained. "In Vaanti society, when two people love each other very much, they may choose to bond their lives together with a handfasting." He said, gesturing toward a garland of the same pretty flowers I had wanted to ask about before. "Before friends and family, they are symbolically joined; and must spend a year and a day in each others presence."

Ximaedra nodded, smiling warmly. "Yes… and if they still love one another after that time, their spirits shall become one; for all eternity."

I felt my face warming as I listened to the Vaanti explain, my heart swelling as it beat at teast ten tomes faster than usual. "That sounds…" I said thickly, lowering my head to hide the embarrassing pink I was certain would be staining my cheeks.

"Aye..." Mike murmured quietly beside me, his cold hand coming to rest lightly in the middle of my back. "Think even Ariel'd be hard pressed to put together somethin' 's meanin'ful."

I peeked at him shyly, which was stupid because my dumb face immediately exploded with heat and it was just, ridiculous how emvarrassing it was; but still, I couldn't tear my eyes away again. I heard the Vaanti in the room chickling quietly, but the soft adoration in Mike's gaze was way more important to me than whatever they were laughing at.

That look was for me, every bit as much as the stupid, sappy expression I just _knew_ I wore was for him. Being bound for all eternity sounded… pretty awesome to me.

"Would you… like to participate?" Ximaedra's offer cut through the Mike absorbed haze I found myself in, a yelp escaping me as I realised I was being such an idiot; _publically_. "It is rare we see a pairing so complimentary of each other."

"I… I mean, we uh, we…" I babbled, flushing guiltily at the thought of returning home bound to Mike. Officially. Permanently. "Um… we don't have any… uh, any family or… or friends… here…" I finally protested weakly. 

Quinn would be furious if we did this, she might not ever speak to me again. Taylor too would be sulky and stupid that he missed out, hell, Grace would probably give me the cold shoulder too… but, as I looked at Mike and saw his lips twitch with amusement; I had a feeling that he was as aware as I was, how unpopular we would be for awhile. 

I also had a feeling he didn't care about any of that just as much as me.

"All who abide the laws of the Supernatural, are friends to the Vaanti." Ximaedra said warmly, smiling as Mike's eyes flit over me curiously, leaving the ultimate decision; and no doubt the blame, to me.

"Well," I bit my lip, though from the grin which exploded onto Mike's face; I was pretty sure he already knew what I was going to say. "I guess… we.could spare another hour. I mean we got our answers and… well, seeing as we're here and all, it would be rude _not_ to- _ah_!" I laughed as Mike picked me up like a ragdoll and spun me around with far too much speed to be mistaken for human.

His lips found mine easily, as he quickly dropped me back to the ground, holding me close for another half a second, before knocking his forehead to mine. "Ya sure?" He asked breathlessly, the underlying excitement and hope impossible to miss.

"Of course," I scoffed, swatting his shoulder quickly. "Are _you_ sure? Everyone is gonna be pretty salty they missed it…" I warned, though excitement bubbled beneath my skin too.

"Pfft, they'll get over it." Mike snorted, grinning at me lopsidedly. "'Sides, I earned me a 'lil leeway by now."

I hummed and bit my lip, excited, eager; ridiculously happy. The thought of being bound to Mike for all eternity was dizzying. Of all the supernatural beings… he chose to be with me. It was intoxicating.

"A momentous day indeed." Ximaedra proclaimed, rising from her throne in a smooth motion. "Come. Today we welcome new friends and share in the joy of their love." She said, sweeping her way from the room gracefully.

Varyyn walked over to Mike and I in her wake. "Would you come with me?" He asked me, as Uqzhaal hobbled over and tapped Mike on the shoulder, indicating for him to leave with the old man. 

"I… guess?" I said, biting my lip as Mike and I reluctantly parted.

Mike grinned at me, his fingers brushing the side of my face affectionately. "See ya soon, Pup." He murmured, winking at me as he backed away and followed Uqzhaal from the room.

"See ya soon…" I whispered after him, bouncing lightly on the balls of my feet as I watched him leave, hyper aware of the butterflies swarming excitedly in my gut.

"Would you like to chains?" Varyyn asked me, drawing my attention from the empty doorway I was staring at.

"Huh?"

"Chains?" Varyyn repeated, as I frowned and tried to understand what the hell he was asking me. Had Mike and I actually agreed to some sort of weird, BDSM ritual? Were these Vaani handfasting things actually a lot of collars, leather, whips and chains?

I wasn't sure I was ready for _that_. Not publically anyway.

Varyyn gestured towards my clothes and I looked down at myself briefly, blinking as I realised what he was asking me. "Oh!" I laughed, relieved and a little awkward at the brief flare of arousal as I thought of Mike and BDSM in the same heartbeat. " _Change_ ; as in my clothes… oh thank god." I huffed, as I shook my head and ran my hand through my hair.

Varyyn frowned. " _Chuh-ayn-juh_ …" he said slowly, sounding the syllables carefully, seemig pleased with himself when he got it right. "Yes. Would you care to _change_?" He asked again, smiling as he gestured again at my clothes.

"Um… oh, I don't…" I said, blinking as I looked down at myself. Honestly, I didn't give two hoots what the hell I was wearing; though I knew Quinn would be doubly pissed at me. All I cared about was getting back to Mike, as soon as possible. I was so excited, my temperature sky rocketed, and Varyyn had to steady me as I swayed and panted for breath. "Oh god… I, I… I'm getting _married_ …" I babbled, blinking dizzily through the haze which smothered my thoughts.

"Are you alright?" Varyyn asked, his golden eyes running over me worriedly as I slowly got a grip on myself.

"Y-yes…" I gasped, shaking my head lightly to try and clear it. "Just… this island plays havoc with my… uh, everything." I huffed, taking a deep breath and rubbing my stomach as it fluttered with nerves and giddy excitement.

Varyyn frowned, touching his hand to my forehead curiously, before nodding and withdrawing his hand again. "You are very blessed." He said, smiling at me warmly. "This is the beginning of a new life. You must cherish this moment, always."

I nodded, sniffling as I wiped my eyes, which were absolutely _not_ watering. "I will." I muttered thickly, chuckling weakly at the thought of a new life; a _full_ life... with Mike.

"Are you ready?" Varyyn asked.

"Yes." I answered immediately, closing my eyes and sucking in a deep breath as I grinned stupidly; trying to calm my too fast heartbeat. "A million times, yes."

"Then come." He said, leading the way out of the throne room and through a large congregation of Vaanti people, gathering outside a large set of intricate doors. The Elyyshar's son didn't pause, striding through confidently and with purpose. 

I glanced around and then quickly locked my eyes on the Vaanti Princes long ponytail, only too aware of how I was queue jumping; and not caring in the least in my eagerness to _finally_ be Mike's mate for life. Officially.

Walking into the chamber, my breath caught in my throat. Admittedly, it was kinda creepy with the large carved faces carved into the upper room; but the decor was nothing, compared to the sight of Mike, waiting before Ximaedra for me at a small raised platform.

The short walk seemed like the longest of my life. Whether it was the potential future consequences of totally changing the course of my life from what it was _supposed_ to be, or whether it was just that I was so goddamn eager to begin the future that felt _right_ at last… it was impossible to tell. My heart clattered loudly in my chest, distracting me and making me dizzy in the slightly too warm room; or was it me that was just slightly too warm? Before I could start being stupid and hyperventilate, I focused on Mike; on the steady calmness of his soundless chest, knowjng that if his heart did beat, it would be for me alone.

Corny though it was, the thought calmed me enough that I managed to reach him without tripping or otherwise embarrassing myself. Ì smiled shyly as I took my place opposite him, peeking at him from beneath my lashes as my stomach flipped giddily. "Hi," I said stupidly, suddenly, briefly overwhelmed by the terrible thought that my stomach was going to growl and ruin the whole ceremony.

"Hey," Mike replied, beaming at me in such a way that all thoughts and fears of my stomach, or of anything, faded away to nothing. "Ain't havin' second thoughts, Pup?" He asked, grinning when I scowled at him reproachfully.

"You're looking to start your marriage with a decade long celibacy, Darwin." I said scathingly, though my threat only made him grin wider.

"I'll soon figure somethin' out an' convince ya to forgive me, _Darwin_." He promised smugly, as my heart melted despite his cocky claim.

"Oh…" I murmured breathlessly, my eyes stinging and my vision blurring slightly as I realised again, that this was really happening. I was _marrying_ Mike.

I was going to spend eternity with him. My knees felt weak, my head suddenly too dizzy as Ximaedra stepped forward on the dais before us, drawing the attention of everyone in the room as she raised her hands and waited for silence. "We welcome new friends to our Niala'rei festival this year. We are honoured, to bless their love and witness this union." She said, as the small crowd around the edge of the room quieted for her. "Mike and Diego, please join hands." She said to us warmly, her voice carrying to the crowd easily.

I sucked in a shaky breath as I lifted my hands, my heart all but choking me as it obscured my throat. Mike's cold palms met mine, less icy than usual compared to my heated touch. I figured it was the equivalent of sweaty palms to him, being a few degrees above freezing. I didn't care enough to think on it, willingly trapped within Mike's intense gaze.

Ximadra's wrinkly fingers carefully tucked one end of a long ribbon between my fingers, before she began to slowly wrap it around mine and Mike's hands.

I tried to will myself not to cry.

"These are the hands of your betrothed." Ximaedra said loud enough for the rest of the Vaanti present to hear, though neither Mike or I looked away from one another. "Together, these hands planted the seed of your love." The Elyyshar continued, slowly folding the long ribbon around mine and Mike's hands, binding them together.

Mike's eyes flashed with something; and I felt my face burn. Whether with excitement or embarrassment, I couldn't tell and honestly didn't care, even though I knew what else he was thinking of that his hands had done.

"These are the hands of your partner." Ximaedra said solemnly, as Mike's fingers twitched against mine. "One who will remain beside you, as you grow and learn… they will wipe tears of sorrow; and joy from your eyes." She said. 

I was pretty sure I noticed her casting me a sly look from the corner of my eye, but I was too lost in Mike's gaze to check.

"This ribbon; represents the roots between you as a foundation of trust, that will deepen and preserve you both through storms to come." She continued, as I exhaled a trembling breath and tried to blink the stinging moisture from my eyes.

I was too blissful to care that I failed spectacularly.

"This handfasting, is a commitment to one another… for a year and a day." Ximaedra called, securing the ribbon into place around our hands. I wondered briefly if we would ever get it off again, but quickly forced my thoughts to refocus on the Elyyshar, when they began to wander toward something much more private we could use it for later. "And, if you are still in love after that time… _forever_."

My heart felt like it was about to explode, excitement making me tremble and quiver. Despite the permanent shiver of my skin though, I had no fear of transforming. From the brief hitch of Mike's chest, I could tell he was just as deeply affected by the idea as I was.

Ximaedra smiled, placing her hands over mine and Mike's for a moment, before taking a small step back. "You may speak your vows to each other." She said, gesturing between us and then lowering her arms and clasping her hands patiently before her.

All at once, I was terrified. I hadn't prepared anything. What the hell was I supposed to do? I could barely give a pep rally, let alone think up meaningful words, on the spot, to show just how deeply Mike was interwoven into my heart and soul.

I looked up at him, about to panic; when his soft smile made my too tight heart relax. Suddenly, I knew exactly what I needed to say.

"Mike," I began thickly, swallowing as I tried to ignore the impatient squirming in my belly. "I… never really felt like I belonged on the reservation, I didn't even really feel like I belonged in the pack." I said slowly, shaking my head as Mike watched me intently. "You were supposed to be my enemy… but instead, you were the first person to ever make me feel like I was exactly where I was meant to be."

I paused, my throat too tight to continue, as my eyes stung and my vision blurred. "You took me in when I had nowhere, you were there for me when I had nobody… and you loved me, just for being me." I said, shaking my head in wonder as I was forced to lower my eyes for a moment, desperately trying to clear away the tears which threatened to fall. "I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone… except maybe Taylor," I huffed, looking back at Mike with adoration as I squeezed his hands gently beneath the ribbon. "I am so, _so_ greatful… that you're in my life."

I swallowed thickly, my heart in my throat and constricting tightly as I pressed my lips together through my smile and tried not to damn well cry.

"Well," Mike replied after a moment, pausing to draw in a slow, deep breath. "I ain't ever really… connected with no one, the way I have with _you_." He said with a faint sigh, his eyes warm as I sniffed and bit my lip. "I ain't never imagined a life shared with no one… weren't ever bothered, past the 'lil family I made for meself; an' I feel guilty as hell for doin' it to 'em mosta the time." He huffed self-depreciatively. I wrinkled my nose at him and squeezed his hands again.

"Our kind're hated by ya folk, but ya gave us a chance anyway… gave _me_ a chance." He said, swallowing heavily as he lowered his eyes for a brief moment. "I lost ya once… an' it 's the worst pain I ever knew, changin' included." He said quietly, looking back at me with a small grin. "But luckily, we got a eternity 'head of us, for me to make sure I don't ever lose ya again."

I couldn't stop the stupid tears which rolled down my cheeks as I both laughed and cried at his beautiful and heartfelt words. Stupid vampire, being all sweet and romantic. I was surprised, but pleased, he hadn't said anything about my ass warming his dick perfectly.

I caught movement in the corner of my eye and turned my head to see a small, blue child walking up the dais to stand beside Ximaedra. He was carrying a large, broad leaf like a tray, with what appeared to be three exotic flowers on it. "Diego," she said to me, as my heart leapt with excitement and curiosity. "Please select the blossom which best represents how you feel for Mike. It will become an expression of your love, for all to see." She continued as the child shyly offered me the leaf so I could see better.

Ximaedra pointed to the first, small pink flower. "Unity," she explained, moving her wrinkled finger to the next offering; a small crown of intricately woven leaves. "Harmony," she continued, her lips twitching as she moved her finger to the third flower; a huge tropical blomm that appeared to be purple, but shimmered with a vast multitude of other colours in the light. "Devotion."

I held my breath, trying to wait and not seem over eager. "Devo-" my voice cracked in my eagerness, and I paused to clear it quickly. " _Ahem…_ devotion." I said, hoping I sounded nonchalant and knowing I failed spectacularly by Mike's huge grin. I also knew I was never going to hear the end of all the jokes about my 'devotion' in the future, but I figured I could live with it for the first decade or two.

Ximaedra picked up the huge purple flower and tucked it gently behind my ear. "And now," she said warmly, spreading her arms wide as I beamed at Mike gleefully, my stomach twisting and bubbling with excitement. "Let the union between these two be made complete; with a kiss!" She called through the chamber.

I was pretty sure my heart stopped as Mike grinned and winked at me. "Reckon I can manage that." He said smugly, curling his free hand around the small of my back as my face ached from my stupid smile. My free hand rose to Mike's cheek as I leaned toward him, drawn by an invisible, irresitable force which I had no intention of _ever_ fighting, for the rest of our lives.

Mike's lips were cold and hard, but there was a passion like never before in his kiss. My breath caught in my throat, a small whine of happiness escaping me as I kissed him back with an eagerness like never before.

Tears of euphoria rolled over my cheeks, my heart crashing so frantically in my chest I was half certain it was going to explode and make this the shortest marriage the world had ever known.

"These two are now joined before Vaanu and the Vaanti." Ximaedra called to the room, as I pulled Mike closer and tried to kiss him all the harder. "True love, is an inexorable force… no land, sea or person, may keep those who are destined apart." She said, the words thrumming through me forcefully. I startled myself from Mike's kiss, staring up at him as I remembered Sean's attempts to keep me from Mike. My heart melted, a stupid, giddy grin brraking out on my face as I felt the certainty settle in my bones once more; Mike was always my destiny. "Go forth as one, children of the stars!"

At Ximaedra's final words, the Vaanti in the chamber all whooped and cheered, clapping their hands and stomping their feet as they crowded forward to make a small aisle. Mike and I stared at each other another split second, before he tugged me gently by the hand and we walked forward to exit the room. 

I laughed, surprised as we exited that the Vaanti had a confetti ritual. Countless handfuls of petals drifted through the air as Mike and I walked forward through what was steadily becoming a thick cloud of roiling colour. The Vaanti were slightly overzealous when it came to confetti it seemed. When the petals had finally cleared enough that I could see two inches in front of my face, I immediately turned to find Mike already looking over at me.

"Well," he said, grinning as I stepped closer and tipled my forehead to his, biting my lip to try and contain all the blissful joy which was bubbling just beneath my skin. "Guess ya movin' back i to the house then, huh? Unless ya want me to come an' keep ya company out in the woods… all 'lone 'mongst the trees with ya 'lil fur coat-"

"Mike," I sighed, pressing my finger to his lips. "Shut up." I said, shaking my head as I dropped my finger and kissed him to silence his dumb jokes instead. At least, I hoped they were dumb jokes.

"Vaanu smiles on you, friends." Varyyn's voice made me yelp and jerk back from Mike, who snorted and slung his arm around my waist to prevent me moving any further away from him. "I hope your friends will be happy for you upon your return." He said, looking down at my hand curiously as I offered it to shake his, grateful for all his help with… well, everything.

"Heh, they'll be pissed as hell." Mike laughed proudly, grinning at my embarrassed flush as I awkwardly hid my hand beside me and tried to pretend nothing had happened. "But 's more'n worth it." He added, looking at me fondly as I tried to hide my stupid grin. "Speakin' of the goof troop, we oughta be gettin' back… dunno how much longer 's gonna be safe to be 'way from the Kid." He said, a worried line forming on his brow, which I reached to smooth away with my finger.

"Taylor has Jake, Estela, Zahra, Craig, Aleister, Grace, Quinn, Kele _and_ the pack taking care of him…" I said, though I privately knew that meant nothing. Taylor could find trouble for himself in an empty, locked room. "He's in good hands. Next best, compared to yours."

Mike flashed me a crooked grin. "Damn, 's hot when ya flatter me, ya know that?" He asked, his teeth flashing in the light. 

I wasn't sure why that flash made my heart leap, why my breath quickened or my temperature soared suddenly… was I really that much of a freak that I wanted him to bite me? Even though we had no idea if it would kill me? I guessed so. "Well, you're my husband now… kinda seems like it's a requirement to flatter you sometimes. When you're not being a cocky dumbass." I said distractedly, rubbing my head as I began to feel sweat bead along my brow and arms.

Mike ignored my playful jibe, frowning at me. "Don't like to cut'n run after just gettin' hitched an' all, but I'll be happy once I got ya off'a this damn island… don't like how it plays havoc with ya system."

I smiled, touched by his concern despite the fact he was being an idiot. "We can come back, maybe with Taylor and Jake. A second honeymoon for them… and one for us." I offered quietly, turning to Varyyn when the fire in Mike's eyes threatened to overwhelm me and make me do something _really_ stupid when we were somewhere so… public. "We're sorry to leave so suddenly, but we really have to get back to our friends. Mike is uh, kind of the only doctor able to take care of Taylor. Not to mention... " I sighed, running a hand through my hair, though I was careful not to dislodge my flower. "I need to figure out what the hell to do about Sean. I'll call my dad from the plane and explain what we've found out… he's gonna be speechless, having a history lesson from _me_ for once, ha." I chuckled.

"We will will meet again someday," Varyyn said confidently, smiling at us warmly. "We will look forward to meeting your friends; and hearing about the new addition to your family."

I laughed, thinking of Taylor and the inevitable sulk when he found out I got married without him. "Oh, hey…" I said suddenly, having had an epiphany as to how I could bribe him into forgiving me. "Can I take him one of these?" I asked, pointing at the huge purple bloom behind my ear. "I know he'd love it."

"Of course," Varyyn said, nodding his head as he quickly disappeared, leaving me with a laughing Mike.

"Ya really think a 'lil flower is gonna stop him bein' pissed?" He snorted.

"Hey, I know Taylor, okay?" I huffed, forcing a frown to my face to jeep from laughing. "Shut up… you got a year and a day to keep me, else I might just-"

"Nah," Mike grinned, shushing me with a finger to my lips as my expression melted into a grin. "Ya won't."

I wanted to counter that, but he had me there. Instead I just grinned and teased him by avoiding his kiss for as long as I could. Slowly though, his lips found mine. A quiet, content hum escaped me. I wasn't in the least bothered by the cold of his skin against mine. As always, his touch was electrifying, breathtaking… amazing. As I curled my arms around his neck, I hoped, no, I _knew_ that would never change.

"I hope your friend likes the-"

" _Aiiie_ -!" I yelped, startling badly at the sound of Varyyn's voice. I'd been so absorbed by Mike's kiss I hadn't even noticed he'd manhandled me over to a railing and was pawing at my ass like it was a damn stress relief ball. "Oh, uh, I… we… um… this is, this is awkward. Yeah." I said, my face burning as I tried to squirm my way out from between Mike and the railing.

"Niala'rei is a time to celebrate one's love…" Varyyn chuckled, carefully placing a large purple bloom like the one I wore behind my ear, into my palm. "Many couples like to use the surrounding area to allow others to bear witness to their true union."

Mike raised an amused eyebrow. "Aye? Well, whaddaya know, huh, Pup?" He drawled, eyeing me with a smirk as I felt my blush worsen. "Maybe-"

" _No_ ." I said firmly, cutting him off before he could even finish suggesting we 'show our love' as I was certain he was going to. His unashamed smirk confirmed my suspicions, though it did nothing to help me stick to my rejection, considering his damn smug grin woke up the hungry glow in my belly. "I'm so sorry, Varyyn but we _really_ have to be going. Ha… ha…"

Varyyn merely nodded respectfully as Mike wove his arm around my shoulders and saluted playfully. “C’mon, ‘en, Pup. Let’s go tell Grandpa an’ the Kid the good news, yeah?” He said, as I watched him distrustfully. There was a familiar mischievous glint in his eyes which I knew better than to trust. 

“Are we telling them that we’re married, or that we know how Taylor got himself his little butt baby?” I asked waspishly, narrowing my eyes when his lips twitched with a barely repressed laugh.

“Eh, we’ll decide ‘bout that on way home.” Mike said, shrugging his shoulders easily. I hated how nonchalant and cool he could be, while I was just this awkward…

“I shall escort you back to your airborne contraption.” Varyyn said, gesturing for us to follow after him as he began making his way to the edge of the village. “I have often wondered about the strange metal birds we have occasionally seen on the horizon.” He said as we walked, throwing regular excited looks toward Mike. “They never come close to the island though… Are there many more, where you come from? Do you use them often? How does one-?”

“Oh god, he’s a plane Otaku…” I groaned beneath my breath, rolling my eyes as Mike pinched me playfully for my dig. “If you two are just gonna gas about planes all the way, I think I’ll just… _urgh…_ ” I trailed off as another heat wave struck me, my body suddenly too heavy for me to carry as my eyes rolled up into my head. "...shi-"

I must have passed out before I hit the ground, because the next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes to find myself in the car; sat in the passenger seat. "Urgh… well, that sucked." I groaned, grimacing as I gripped the armrest of the chair and sitting up slowly. 

"Ya 'wake, Pup?" Mike's voice softly called from beside, stress and relief in his tone as he waited for my response.

" _Mmhm_ ," I hummed, scratching my neck idly as I stretched, relaxing again at the satisfying click from my spine.

"Hey," Mike said softly, his cool fingers startling me as they brushed over my cheek. "Ya feelin' alright?" He asked, his brow furrowed as I sighed and leaned into his touch.

I yawned quietly, taking a moment to take stock of myself. I felt a little cooler than normal, but I was feeling pretty pleasant otherwise. No aches, no pains, no… I felt the slow furrow of my brow, my hand rubbing my stomach as it ached with growing ferocity. "How long was I out? I feel like I could eat for a week…" I grumbled, as Mike snorted with evident relief.

"Coupla hours…" he said, his cool fingers brushing my hair from my cheek gently. "Oughta be home in another, maybe a 'lil less." He added off handedly, crouching down beside my chair as he examined me. "Blues Clues said to tell ya, bye for now. Hopes we'll go back after Kid's popped his sprog an' made the change. I said I dunno, considerin' how that damn place fucks with ya so bad…"

"Hmm, it's weird." I agreed, rolling my head on the back of the chair so I could smile tiredly at Mike. "I guess sweltering, tropical vacations are a no go for me now." I mused to myself, blinking away a vague sense of amusement. "So weird… I never expected anywhere to make react so severely." 

"'S a weird ass place," Mike agreed. "Though, if 's really the birthplace of all shit Supernatural, well, I ain't exactly all that surprised." He said, clicking his tongue thoughtfully.

“Hmm,” I hummed, kissing his palm before pushing his hand back toward the steering wheel. Just because we were harder to kill than most humans, didn’t mean I wanted to be taking risks with my new husband. I tried to stifle the giddy shiver which ripped through me at _that_ particular thought, chaffing my arms as if I were cold. “Do you really believe all that? Vaanu is the mystical… all-spirit which made all of us possible?” I wondered, hoping to cover up my weird behaviour.

“Kinda hard not to,” Mike countered with a sigh. “Given the Kid’s uh, _unique_ situation an’ all.”

“Hmm,” I hummed again, nodding in acceptance. It _was_ hard to believe… but it was hard to believe otherwise too, given Taylor’s little miracle. “I am so not ready to deal with all of them.” I grumbled. “Especially not Quinn or Taylor…”

“Yeah,” Mike chuckled. “Ariel’s gonna have a real sulk on for a coupla days… possibly years, but eh, she’ll get over it.” He said, looking over at me warmly. “An’ hey, we’ll let her put us a fancy ‘lil family shindig together, yeah?”

I couldn’t help but smile at the image that presented me with, closing my eyes to savour it for a moment. The rest of the Darwin’s, my dad and sister, maybe even Andy. I supposed I would have to invite Tom ad the rest of ‘my’ pack… hell, maybe I would really push the boat out and invite some of the others, like-

My eyes snapped open, my breath hissing from me in a surprised gasp as my stomach flipped. “Oh.” I said softly, thinking over the conversation I’d had with Jake and Taylor so long ago, back when I’d only been staying with the Darwin’s a few days. 

“Ya alright?” Mike’s voice was concerned beside me, but I couldn’t answer, too lost in my own thoughts and memories as they came together in my head. “Hey, Pup-”

“ _Shhh,”_ I breathed, holding up my hand as I stared through the windscreen vacantly, remembering thoughts, questions, feelings. Was it really that easy? Could things really work in our favour for once? “ _Oh…”_ I gasped, blinking as the epiphany settled solidly in my mind. If this idea turned out to be right, if my epiphany came true… well, it could well be the answer to our prayers. "Oh... okay." I sighed, leaning back in my chair as I relaxed, telling myself not to get my hopes up too much; and failing spectacularly.

"Hey," Mike said, slightly sharper than usual. I looked over with a tired smile, raising a brow at his tone. "Ya wanna clue me in here, Pup?" He asked, eyeing me worriedly.

I shook my head, reaching over to squeeze his hand. "I need to talk to Ricardo, first." I said, moving my hand to my mouth to cover a yawn. "I might be wrong, so I wouldn't want to get anyone elses hopes up pointlessly." I added.

Mike sighed and rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath that was too fast and too low even for my ears to catch. I swatted his arm for good measure and threw him a playful scowl. "Don't mutter about me, else our wedding night is gonna be really short lived." I threatened, though from the grin he flashed back at me, he knew it was a very, _very_ weak threat.

He drove in silence for a short time while I dozed beside him, still tired from whatever La Huerta had fucked with in my system. He held my hand the entire drive, his cool fingers soothing against my fiery skin, and eventually his soft voice stirred me. "Ready to face down a angry mob?" He asked playfully, though I wasn't entirely certain he was teasing.

"Hmm, probably not," I admitted, sighing and stretching as I opened my eyes and watched the long driveway open out to reveal the now familiar, well lit house which I had come to love. "Luckily I can postpone that by facing down a furry pack of brats." I snickered, turning to grin at him.

"Ah, leavin' me to be ya scapegoat, huh?" Mike snorted, parking his car and turning to face me.

"What else are smart, handsome and courageous husbands for; but to take the blame?" I asked, shrugging my shoulder innocently.

"Courageous, huh?" Mike said smugly, leaning closer as he cocked his head toward me. 

"Well, I mean," I teased, "you _have_ been through quite a lot… and you did join the military a couple times." I added thoughtfully.

"Mmm," Mike hummed, still smirking at me as his fingers tiptoed up my arm to my shoulder. "An' handsome an' all, eh?"

"Don't give me that," I snorted. "You damn well know you're more than handsome… you'd have to be anyway, to have snagged me." I said, grinning as Mike narrowed his eyes playfully. 

"An' smart..?" He asked, his sweet breath ghosting over my lips as I hesitated, my grin faltering as my stomach twisted sharply. 

"Oh God-" I gasped, shoving Mike away and throwing open the door, darting around the corner of the garage to throw up in a small cluster of bushes. Mike's soothing hand came to rest on my back, all traces of amusement faded beneath his palpable air of worry. "Urgh, well… that was… disgusting." I complained as I surfaced, grimacing as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Prob'ly ya body throwin- off whatever the bloody hell that damn island fucked up in ya." Mike reasoned softly, though his vrow was stilled furrowed with worry. "C'mon, let's get ya inside."

"But, I was gonna… go see the pack..." I protested weakly, but I sighed with resignation at the unflinching resolve in Mike's eyes. "Fine, fine… but I'm hiding in the bathroom until Quinn calms down and doesn't hate me anymore." I grumbled, rearranging my face into a semi-petulant pout. "Hey, don't be thinking this means you're gonna get your own way all the time." I said, jabbing him in the chest with my finger.

Mike's lips twitched. "Wouldn't dream of it, Pup." He said, stepping back and extending his arm before me, gesturing for me to lead the way inside.

I rolled my eyes and reluctantly shuffled my way inside, muttering about stupid, handsome vampires the entire way. 

It was quiet as we walked in, something I guessed wasn't too good of a sign for me. I peeked around the corner to the living room, flushing guiltily when I found eight vampire, a gangly teen wolf; and two human pairs of eyes waiting for me, with one of said human pairs being… extremely sulky. "Uh, h-hi, um… _ahem_ , uh, everyone." I stammered awkwardly, not helped in the least by Mike's hand on the small of my back. "Er, h-how is every-"

"How could you _do_ this to me?!" Quinn demanded before I could finish, her eyes awash with betrayal and grief as I ducked my head guiltily. "Honestly, I expect this kind of thing from Jake or Mike; but not from _you_ , Diego!" She exclaimed, sniffling; much to my horror, as she wiped her eyes as if they were watering.

"Hey, I- we, I mean-" I babbled, waving my hands uselessly as I tried and failed to find the words. "It was a… a… um, accident?" I offered weakly, even _more_ horrified when my own eyes _actually_ stung and began to water. "It was so beautiful there! And it was all so… and- and, I-I… I couldn't help it…"

Mike and Jake both roared with laughter at my ramblings, Craig joining in as Zahra smirked at my discomfort. With their amusement, the atmosphere in the room diffused somewhat, my nerves relaxing slightly as even Quinn offered me a small, if sulky smile.

"Oh, Diego…" she sighed, shaking her head as Kele snaked his arm around her waist, offering me a smile which was more genuine than the redheads.

"Um, we thought you could plan something for us here… in, I mean, in a couple years? Maybe?" Quinn perked slightly at the offering, her face thoughtful but frustrated as she tried to see a future I was a part of; something particularly tricky, seeing as she couldn't see my future anymore. "A-and you could choose our rings for us…"

Quinn's eyes lit with excitement, despite her hindrance. "Oh! I have the perfect… oh, yes..!" She sing-songed happily, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as she shot Jake a sour look. "You didn't tell me _that_ part!"

Jake shrugged indifferently, smirking at me from his seat beside Taylor. "Ain't the part Mike's been yellin' 'bout since he got off the damn plane." He replied glibly, chuckling as I scowled and elbowed Mike in the side as hard as I could.

"What can I say, I'm feelin' a 'lil blessed, right 'bout now." Mike said, spreading his palms as he guided me to the couch and forced me to sit, though I drew the line at him taking my temperature with his hand on my brow. Honestly, what the hell would that do anyway? My temperature was out of whack even without anything being wrong nowadays.

"Ya feelin' smug as all hell." Jake snorted, as Taylor elbowed me hard.

"Hey, what the hell was that for, assbutt?" I demanded as I turned to see him scowling at me reproachfully.

"Don't you assbutt me! At least I _invited_ you to _my_ wedding!" He hissed sulkily.

"It was spur of the moment!" I countered, scowling back at him as my stomach grumbled.

"I'll grab ya some water an' somethin' to eat." Mike said quietly. I barely noticed him leaving, too focused on Taylor's sulky glare.

"What, you couldn't wait a few days to come home first?!" He huffed, poking me with his finger. "I wasn't allowed to run off to Vegas! How come you got to?"

"We didn't go to Vegas!" I protested. If you weren't all; knocked up and shit then maybe we could have invited you rather that haul ass back here so damn fast." I said scathingly, rolling my eyes as I dumped his flower in his lap. "Here. Have a flower."

"What the hell is _this_ ?" Taylor sulked, picking it up and examining it with a raised brow. "You go to find answers, come back not only engaged but already _married_ and you think some dumb-"

"Those flowers are what the Vaanti use to show their feelings for their life mates." I interrupted with a sigh. "That one is called 'devotion' and I thought you might like it." I said, scowling at Zahra when she feigned gagging.

Taylor fell quiet though, which was usually not a good thing; but in this case, happened to be what I'd been hoping for. "We got answers too…" I added quietly, glancing at Jake and thinking of all the things the Vaanti had explained to us.

"Huh…" Jake mused, blinking slowly as he absorbed everything.

"But I thought you would prefer the flower." I continued to Taylor, nudging him with my elbow gently.

Taylor sniffed, holding the flower over his small bump; which had surely grown another inch while Mike and I were gone, tracing his fingers over the brightly coloured petals. His eyes watered as he sniffed again and laughed quietly. "... assbutt." He mumbled, nudging me back again as he put the flower behind his ear like I wore mine; offering his husband a shy smile.

Jake smiled back and rubbed Taylor's hand softly, leaning closer to kiss Taylor's cheek lightly.

"So," Estela said as Taylor and Jake shared one of their sappy moments where only each other existed. "What happened to him?" She asked, gesturing to Taylor's bump as he lifted a drink to his mouth and sipped a small amount through his straw, his attention still thoroughly focused on Jake.

I wasn't sure why, maybe because Mike was apparently moving at human speed to get me the water he'd promised; but Taylor's drink was suddenly mighty appealing to me. "Hmm?" I hummed back distractedly, tearing my eyes from the strawed drink to refocus on Estela.

"His uh, predicament…" she said tactfully, gesturing again to his belly. "How the hell did that come about, exactly?"

"Yes, we're all rather curious." Aleister agreed, his arm around Grace's shoulders as she leaned into his side and smiled, offering me a small wave.

"O-oh, right… yeah," I coughed, shaking my head as Taylor took another drink. "Basically, La Huerta is the home of a spirit which created all things supernatural; and it thinks sex is for procreation, so…" I explained quickly, pausing when Taylor stopped pulling on his straw to turn and look at me curiously. I snagged his wrist and leaned over to take a pull from his straw, relishing the tangy refreshment and sighing with relief when I released it again after a few brief sips. "Basically, Taylor got knocked up because an ancient spirit thought he was the girl in their relationship."

I snickered at my own teasing, but raised a brow when nobody else laughed. Everyone was looking at me like I'd just stripped naked and let Mike have his way with me right in front of them. "What?" I asked, my face warming under their stares. Even Mike was staring, I noticed, halfway back from the kitchen with a glass of water and what looked like a half a roasted pig.

I started when Taylor began to cackle beside me, his hand curled protectively over his bump as he laughed gleefully.

"What the hell's got into you, _Mommy_?" I demanded haughtily, knowing it usually annoyed him when I teased him in such a way.

"Oh, I don't know…" he gasped, looking at me and pointedly dropping his eyes to my stomach. "Why don't you tell me what's got into _you…_ " he snickered, holding his breath to keep from laughing. " _Mommy_!"

I could _feel_ my face paling as Taylor shook his cup and straw in my face before he dissolved into another fit of giggles. I searched for Mike quickly as I recalled what Varyyn had said to me before I'd handfasted with Mike.

_Varyyn frowned, touching his hand to my forehead curiously, before nodding and withdrawing his hand again. "You are very blessed." He said, smiling at me warmly. "This is the beginning of a new life. You must cherish this moment, always."_

I watched Mike's eyes light with realisation; and no small amount of smug glee, just as I came to understand the true meaning of Varyyn's words. My hands curled over my belly as I sucked in a shallow breath. "Oh..." I breathed quietly, my head spinning as I puffed out my cheeks and exhaled in a heavy rush. " _Fuck_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Varyyn and Mike's latin conversation (as close as Google translate can make it)
> 
> Varyyn; You are strange
> 
> Mike; You speak Latin?
> 
> Varyyn; you speak the mother tongue. What seek you, vampire?
> 
> Mike; you know what I am?
> 
> Varyyn; yes. He is shapeshifter
> 
> Mike; werewolf. but close enough by my mustard-
> 
> Varyyn; no. not child of moon. Shapeshifter; may choose when and shape.
> 
> Mike; we werent aware of that… 
> 
> Varryn; you are mated. 
> 
> Mike; yeah, we are… can you speak any other languages? He doesnt like being left out
> 
> Varyyn; what language does he require?
> 
> Mike; English good for you?
> 
> Varyyn; I am… unfamiliar.


End file.
